Whispers in the Dark
by A Keeper
Summary: Regina's love was killed by her mother, Emma's love had betrayed her, Snow White's love was fought for and Rumpelstiltskin's love is...complicated. The past changes everyone's present choices, what makes Peter Pan's past any different? Peter Pan/A Kind-of OC
1. Her

**So...yeah. This is one of the numerous stories I'm working on and I'm just testing out an idea. I'm pretty sure there will be at least four chapters, and then it might go south, I don't know. This is honestly a test to see if a certain thing would work and I would love to have you guys review to let me know what I should improve on and if nobody does that, I'm going to assume it's not working and I'll just take it out. So, yeah, I only own that which is mine and hope you enjoy! ~A Keeper**

* * *

"_Henry," _

Henry Mills looked up at the sound of his name; thinking it Pan, he braced himself for another game, but nothing moved.

"_Henry,"_

It was a woman's voice...or a girl. Whichever of the two. Could it be Wendy? Henry sat up and looked around, but again found no difference in his surroundings. It must be his imagination.

_ "__Come silly boy, I want to speak with you!"_ She laughed, as though his confusion was either cute or funny. He stood up and looked around once more and realized why everything was so strange: The Lost Boys were sleeping.

No one was on watch. No one was playing around the campfire. No one was stirring because their "guest" had risen. Pan was in his personal tree house, probably wide awake, but there was no sign that he would come out any time soon.

"Who...who are you?" He asked.

"_I can't tell you, not yet, not here. Go the the beach of the Lost Things and you will find me there. I will answer your questions then." _

"What about Pan, will he catch us?"

"_No, the boys will sleep for a long while and Peter is too busy wallowing in his grief to notice." _

"Grief?"

"_Too many questions, Henry, come! Hurry, we won't have long." _

He didn't know why he trusted her—he didn't know her name or anything about her. But she wasn't overstating her kindness and he couldn't feel any magic. Pan would have surely come out if he sensed a dangerous magic and he was still in his house. She just seemed so...something. He didn't know what. Maybe it was because she reminded him—with however much he knew of her in their brief meeting—of Snow White, his grandmother.

Regardless of trust and such, he let his body relax and moved in whatever direction the wind pushed him in. In no time, literally, he was on the beach of the Lost Things, watching the waves as they crawled upon the shore and pushed old trinkets and desires on to the everlasting sand.

"It used to be so sunny out here," He spun around and met the dark brown eyes of a girl who looked to be seventeen years old. Her eyes were like looking into melting chocolate churning in a bowl while the rest of her body was a pale tan which seemed to have faded over the years. She wore no shoes and had a light peach dress which cut into a diamond towards the bottom and overlapped at the top. Her hair was long and pulled into a braid at the back. She smiled at him. "Now there is only night."

"Who are you?" Henry asked, not entirely lowering his guard, though he did feel a comfortableness with her he had not felt in such a long time.

She grinned and nodded her head towards the beach, "Shall we go hunting? It was one of my favorite games." She went to the very edge of the water and dipped her hands in, scooping out a teapot. Her smile weakened and she set it back into the sand beneath the waves. "Lost Boys don't come here anymore. I wonder why. Perhaps you could tell me?" She looked so hopeful; he didn't want to let her down, but he shook his head.

"My name is-"

"Henry, yes, I know." She gestured to the water and took a seat in the dry sand, "I suppose Peter has ruined the meaning of 'game' for you, hm?"

He nodded sat beside her, burying his fingers in the sand and running his thumb over a toy he dared not uncover. "What did you mean by 'it _was_ your favorite game'?"

She reached out for his hand and, expecting to feel warm flesh, was surprised to be met by a foggy distortion of her hand. He looked into her calm, welcoming face in surprise, "Are you...are you dead?"

She chuckled lightly, "No, not yet. The Lost Boys say I suffer a fate far worse than death, but it is really not that bad. I'm just asleep. I've been saving my energy for a very long time to be able to talk to you at this moment."

"Why?"

"We'll have to see, be patient with me, Henry, it's been a while since I've walked these shores." She gazed fondly at the stars and closed her eyes, breathing in the fresh air and lifting her shoulders with pleasure before saying, "It is time for me to tell you who I am, but I am afraid that is all we'll have time for."

"What's happening? What's going to happen to you?!" He exclaimed worriedly.

"Nothing bad," She replied with a wave of her hand. "I just have to go, Peter is on his way." Henry's face grew pale. "Do not worry, I will stay long enough for him to see me and that will make him curious. He will not hurt you because he knows that I have been speaking to you. You can tell him anything you wish, nothing will make a difference to me, but you must understand that I can not appear when you please. I will come every two nights for the next two weeks, but after that, I can not guarantee returning at all."

"Does it hurt?"

She stood and beckoned him to do the same, "Now is not the time for that question, Henry. Now is the time to answer your first question." He could hear the crashing of the brush and trees as Pan and a few of his Lost Boys broke through the jungle in search of him. "My name is Pocahontas, but the boys like to call me Tiger Lily."

The crashing stopped and the pair looked up to see Peter Pan staring wide-eyed at them. It was a strange expression he bore, one of anger, confusion, surprise, fear and, for the first time Henry had seen, pure happiness. A happiness that came from the rare and beautiful things in life and not from the games he played.

Her name was about to grace the boy leader's lips when Henry looked beside him and saw nothing but a fog rolling across the waves and swamping them, causing the land and the water to disappear.

Henry felt his arms be grabbed by Felix, who was looking around frantically for the path away from the beach and back to the camp.

"_Where are you?!"_ They froze, their ears perking at the sound of none other than Pan screaming to the fog. _"Show yourself! Come back!"_

"Oh, Princess," He heard Felix mutter. "What have you done?"

* * *

Henry sat on a log before a great, roaring fire, watching as Pan paced back and forth, shaking his head and stomping his feet and punching trees wherever he went. "Hey," Felix grabbed his leader's shoulders and stopped him from digging a trench into the ground. "It might not have been her."

"_It might not have been her,"_ He spat. "You saw her as much as me, there's no mistaking her. It _has_ to be her!"

"It makes sense for us to dream about the things we've lost and the things we've hoped for, but eventually we find new things to dream about, you said so yourself!" Felix insisted as Pan attempted to push him aside. When that didn't work, he punched him across the face with such a force that he was thrown on to the ground, clutching his jaw as blood slithered down his chin from a cut in his lip.

"But this wasn't a dream!" He shouted, then looked to Henry. "It wasn't a dream, am I right Henry? You were with her, you spoke to her, what did she say? Did she give you a name? A purpose? Anything?"

Hesitantly, he nodded, but kept his mouth shut. Pan grabbed his shoulders, gripping tightly, but not enough to make him feel pain, just insanely uncomfortable. "Tell me."

"She said...she said that her name was Pocahontas and that The Lost Boys called her Tiger Lily."

Pan looked as though he had been struck across the face as he pulled away. Looking to Felix, he said with some victory in his voice, "You see? It was her." Was it possible that there was a quiver in his voice? He couldn't tell, for Pan left in the direction of his tree house and did not bother to look back.

Felix looked down upon Henry, almost sympathetically. "Did she tell you why she chose you? Did she tell you anything about her past?"

Henry shook his head, "Not much. She just said that she was saving her strength for a long time to be able to talk to me."

Felix nodded, then snorted, a half-smile reaching his face. A real smile, though it was only on part of his face, as though he had not smiled in a long time. "You're an evil minx, Princess."

"Could you tell me about her?" He asked, frightened that he might be harmed for asking about her.

His eyes lit up, "Those were the best of stories, lad, it's a shame when we stopped telling them."

"Why do you call her 'Tiger Lily'? Why not just call her by her real name?"

"Well, that there is partially my fault." He replied, chewing on a stalk of wheat. "This was recently after Pan told us she was going to be apart of us. He said that we should treat her as one of our own and that's exactly what we decided to do. So Thomas and I thought that in order to 'initiate' her, we would put a snake in her bed while she slept. It was a poisonous snake, sure but we knew Pan wouldn't let her get hurt so we let it in. We waited to hear screaming for an hour, but heard nothing.

"Naturally, Thomas and I start to get worried, because if we killed her, we'd get killed ourselves. Finally, she comes out with none other than that stupid snake wrapped around her shoulders as her new best friend.

"Thomas said something about how she looked so innocent and lovely on the outside, but was a downright dangerous and fiery one on the inside. My reply was that she was a natural Tiger Lily and thus her name was born."

Henry grinned upon the thought of the only girl in camp coming out, holding the poisonous snake to the boys' faces to show off her good work. His smile faded as he came up with another question, "What happened to her?"

Felix's own face fell as well and he looked into the pits of the fire before murmuring almost unintelligibly, "She got sick."


	2. Power in Belief

**Hi guys, wow, I got such a bigger response for this than I thought and I apologize up front because I'm pretty sure I'm about to kill it completely. I don't know why, but this just didn't seem to meet my expectations. I decided that I would let you guys be the judge for that and let me know if I should keep on doing what I'm doing, or revise this chapter before posting the next one. Special thanks to the 22 followers, 8 favorites and to those who made the amazing decision to review! This chapter is dedicated to: Honeydewmelon56, Moonlight1ify, Mindoneil, Superdani4ever, Dreamer-Girl96, HermioneandMarcus, ZoilLATC10 (you're review I found funny and great ;) ) and Yuan Yamato. Thanks, and enjoy! ~A Keeper **

* * *

_Pocahontas looked around, frustrated and near tears as she frantically searched for a landmark, a tree, an animal, something that bore resemblance to her home. She found nothing. The trees were strange here, growing up like greedy hands trying to take the sunlight and the animals were not the ones she had played with as a young child. She couldn't remember how she got there._

_ She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to eliminate the fear and anxiety that had taken hold of her thoughts. When she thought her mind was free enough, she reached for the small pouch that was attached to her belt and pulled out the spinning arrow. She waited for the arrow to stop spinning, but released a frustrated sigh and sat on the ground with a thud! As it continued to spin and spin._

_ "You've always worked for me before, why not now?" She whispered, caressing the cool edge lightly as though it was his face instead._

_ "Maybe because you're not where you were before." Peter Pan watched as she jumped up, clutching the compass close to her chest as she eyed him curiously, yet cautiously._

_ "What do you mean?"_

_ He quite liked the sound of her voice. It was curious and innocent, yet she was very aware of everything that was happening and he could see she was planning something. "I mean you're in Neverland, compasses don't work here, unless you've got a special one."_

_ "Neverland?" She asked. "I...I don't understand. How did I get here? Who are you? What's a compass?"_

_ He laughed and shook his head, "My, you've got a lot of questions, why don't you tell me your name and then I'll try to answer what I can."_

_ She hesitated, he could see she didn't trust him. "Pocahontas."_

_ "Poca-what?"_

_ "My name," She said, glaring dangerously at him. Oh, she had fire. He liked fire. "It's Pocahontas. Now, who. Are. You?"_

_ He grinned and bowed, "I'm Peter Pan and you, my good friend, was sent here by a friend of mine. I think to you she might have been...Grandmother Willow? Something like that." Her eyes widened; so she was from that tribe in the New World, he deduced. He had liked Akahanetis when she was still human and had given her the magic which turned her into the tree so that she could watch over her daughter and her granddaughter—Pocahontas._

_ Her brows furrowed in confusion, "But...why? Why has she sent me here? I do not remember-"_

_ "You were going to go to another place and die, Old Willow is a Seer and she foresaw your death, so to protect you, she sent you here."_

_ "_You!_" She exclaimed. "I know you! You're Kidogo Ufisaidi!"_

_ "I beg your pardon?"_

_ Her face contorted in anger and she slapped him, "You-you monster!" She moved to hit him again, but he caught her arms and held her wrists firmly. She had been amusing before she had tried to lay a hand on him. Nobody lays a hand on Pan._

_ "Now, just hang on a moment-"_

_ "You kidnapped my brother!"_

_ He froze and thought about it for a moment, then shrugged and nodded, "Kidnapped, rescued, they're synonyms, sure. Hey, I returned him, how about that?"_

_ "Take me home. NOW!"_

_ He shoved her away hard enough to force her on to the ground, the compass rolling on its side. He stopped it with his foot and leaned down towards her. "I appreciate your fire, I really do, but don't make the mistake of blazing too bright, because I will snuff out that forest fire before you can even blink. I would be nice to me, if I were you, because whether or not your grandma realized it, she sold you to this island and therefore, to me." He pushed upon the compass, cracking the glass and splintering the wood._

_ "No!" He was surprised by the force of which she knocked him away with and even more surprised that she had pushed him away even after what he had told her, needless to say, he did not show his surprise._

_ She took the compass and cradled it in her hands which turned red from the blood that was drawn from her flesh by the fragments as though the silly thing was a baby._

_ She sighed and stood, letting the pieces slide into her pouch which she then tightened around her waist. She sent a look of pity his way, as though he was the one whose world had ended instead of her, and then ran._

_ He clenched his mouth shut, fearing that a colorful word would fly from his mouth and that wasn't good form at all. She was fast and he wasn't too keen on catching up to her. Who cares if she died or was wounded or maimed? It would be her own silly fault._

_ His eyes widened in sudden pain as a burning sensation light up his wrist. He glanced down and found in flaming light a willow leaf being branded into his flesh. He sighed and ran a hand through his curly, dirty blonde hair. He may have given that stupid tree her magic at first, but it had certainly grown and changed since he had last seen her. If he did not protect her, it could very well be his doom._

_ So, with an annoyed pang in his heart, he started trudging through the jungle to where he sensed she had gone. He stopped suddenly, for he felt more than just her presence nearby. He hesitated before continuing and then heard the girl cry, "Look out!" He turned too slow and an arrow cut across his arm which stung far more than it should have._

_ "Why, look what we have here, mates," A familiar pirate asked. "A girl made the great Peter Pan let down his guard. The last time that happened was...never. Take him in."_

_ The cut was stinging. He was strong, why was it hurting? He should be healing by now-_

_ The pirates were grinning at him and then the Captain bent to his height and placed his one hand on his shoulder, "That's dreamshade laced with squid ink, thought it might do the trick, though I see you're not dying yet, we'll see to that."_

_ The last thing Peter remembers of that was seeing Pocahontas' apologetic face as she was gagged and bound and noting that she did not look afraid._

* * *

Emma still couldn't get used to the fact that _Tinker Bell_ had agreed to help her rescue her son from _Peter Pan._ It was strange enough having Snow White and Prince Charming for parents...well, that's probably not the strangest of things she's done lately. With a sigh, she ran a hand over her head, wishing once more that none of this was real and that she would have her son back in her arms at home like a somewhat normal family.

And then she heard the pixie gasp and was forced to open up her eyes. She found a girl a couple years shy of womanhood mere inches from her face. "Whoa!" She exclaimed, then scooted backwards, falling off the log she had been sitting on and pushing herself as far away as possible.

"_Tiger Lily?"_ Tinker Bell asked, her eyes squinted in disbelief and then happiness. "Oh, my! I thought you were a goner! Where have you been? Pan's gone dark since you disappeared-"

The girl, Tiger Lily, smiled knowingly, then reached out her hand to meet Tink's shoulder, only to cause her hand to became foggy and distorted, as though she was a spirit made of fog. "Oh," The pixie sighed, flinching slightly as a shiver went down her back. "Oh, I'm so sorry."

"Don't be," She said, then turned to Emma. "So this is the Savior, I must say, you are so much more than I imagined, and that's saying a lot. I created a good deal of Neverland before it was overrun by Peter's emotions."

"Wait, wait, wait, you're Tiger Lily?" Emma asked as she was helped up by Snow White.

"If you wish to use my nickname, then yes, but some people still insist upon calling me Pocahontas, isn't that right, Captain?" She cast her gaze to a tree.

The Captain peeked out from behind it and looked around, "Why, Pocahontas, is that you?" He laughed pompously. "You haven't changed a bit!"

"Relax, Killian," She chuckled. "In spite of all you have done to me, I bare no ill will towards you. In fact, I am here to help you."

"Really?" Emma asked hopefully. Sure, Pocahontas had been a "real" person, but for some reason, that little aspect hadn't shocked Emma as every other thing that was thrown her way did. She was alright with meeting this heroine. "You're going to help me get my son back?"

"More or less," Pocahontas began to stroll through the camp. "You see, I have already been in contact with your son, and believe me, I am going to do everything possible to keep in contact with him, but I can only do it on select days for the next two weeks, after that, I will probably be finishing up dying."

"Where are you?" Tinker Bell asked. "If you told me, I could help you. We could help you in exchange for your assistance, you could get in with Pan, you could be our inside man."

"I'm sorry, Tink, but I can't go back to Peter." She was so serious, it scared and surprised the pixie and the pirate.

"What are you talking about?" Hook asked. "Forgive me for seeming incredibly rude, but you two loved each other. What changed since then?"

"Him."

Everything grew silent. Pocahontas fizzled, like a wrong channel and wrapped her arms around her chest, grinding her teeth in pain. "I must go, my time is up."

"No, Tiger Lily, wait!" Tink cried, but by then, Pocahontas had faded into a foggy shadow.

Emma looked over to Hook whose face was a mix of regret and worry. "What did you do to her?"

He shook his head, "I destroyed everything."

Tinker Bell explained, "Pocahontas had a big influence in Neverland; like she said, Pan let her create many of the places here. If you tried to hurt her, not only would you have _her_ to deal with, but Pan as well. Out of the choice of who to fight, I'd pick Pan, wouldn't you, Captain?"

"Aye," He nodded.

"But she didn't want to fight unless it was for fun. When she was here, Neverland was perfect. I thought she had left the island because I remember one of the Lost Boys saying something about an argument between her and Pan and he had told her to leave. I didn't realize..." She stared at Hook until he looked at her. "Captain, do you know what happened to her?"

He sighed and shook his head as though he had been the cause of it, "She got sick."

* * *

_Pocahontas knelt down beside the unconscious Peter Pan and shook her head at her stupidity. She should have stayed put and listened to him. She should have accepted her fate. She should've trusted her grandmother and maybe if she had, none of this would have happened. It was all her fault. Again._

_ Tears filled her eyes as she stroked his pale cheek which was in stark contrast to the tan boy she had met earlier. He was sick._

_ He may have been an immortal boy, but that also meant that his immune system got frozen as it was—he was as receptive to disease as any child._

_ They were in a rock cell on Skull Rock, or whatever the pirates had called their prison, and they were being watched over every second._

_ Originally, she had been in a different cell, but she had managed to convince their gullible Captain that she had been kidnapped by Peter and had wanted nothing more than to leave Neverland and go home. She told them that she had been sold and that he thought that deal had made her trustworthy and loyal to him. Therefore, if she could be allowed time with him, she might be able to set him up for failure when the time came for the duel the Captain so desperately wanted to end it all._

_ "You have to wake up, Peter," She whispered, as she studied his wound. It wasn't that big, but it was bloody and it was black due to the ink and dreamshade. "I can't do this by myself. I need your help."_

_ She wished with all her heart that she could clean his wound and give him a better bandage, some food or water, something that would improve his current condition, but she didn't have anything and her pouch had been taken from her. She would have to find a way out of this._

_ She wiped the tear away so the pirates wouldn't be able to taunt and jeer at her for her weakness and winced as it fell upon Peter's face. He flinched._

_ Her eyes widened with hope and he twitched his head and opened his eyes. With a groan, he said, "When I get my hands on you, girl, I'm going to-" He cut himself off upon trying to sit up and finding that the pain was too great. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him to the side so that he could rest sitting up and maintain whatever form of dignity he bore._

_ "I don't see that happening anytime soon, so if I were you, I'd stay quiet and thank me for waking you up." She glared at him so darkly, he actually felt a shiver run down his spine. Who did she think she was?_

_ "Oh, good, look who's up," Captain Hook came to the cell and smiled darkly. "You up for a game, Pan? One more, just for old time's sake, seeing as you're already on your way to the death bed."_

_ "You can't kill me, Hook," He growled, forcing himself to his feet. "What game?"_

_ Hook grinned, he knew the child could never resist a game. "You and me, sword play. What else? If I win, you die and I take Neverland, if you win, you walk out of here home free to die among your Boys. Oh, yes, and winner takes that nice piece of a good time waiting in the cell over there," He gestured to Pocahontas whose eyes narrowed dangerously and might as well have killed him then and there. "Have we an accord?"_

_ Peter cast a look to Pocahontas, and then decided to ignore her. She didn't matter, why did he need her opinion? "I accept your challenge, though I don't take kindly to cheaters." He said as he took up his sword from the pile of loot the pirates had taken from him._

_ "I wouldn't call it cheating," Hook said, unsheathing his own blade as he took his stance. "I call it leveling the playing field."_


	3. Her Messenger Boy

**Thank you so much for those who favored, followed and reviewed this story (sorry, reviewers, I'm too lazy to actually name you now, so I'll name you in the next few chapters.) Anyway, some big events are about to take place in the next few chapters, so please stick around. I drop a big hint about Pan's past here that I may or may not explore later, if you pick up on it, let me know if you want me to continue that idea or leave it be. Also, out of curiosity, I would like to know what you think about Pocahontas and Peter and whether or not they're a couple you enjoy to read about. Please, let me hear what you think so I can improve on this. Thank you so much for all of the wonderful support. ~A Keeper**

* * *

_As much as Pocahontas would have _loved_ to watch them fight, she had already pieced together a plan and was working on finding her own way off the silly rock. _

_She slipped into the darkest corner of her cell and waited for a confused pirate to come stumbling in. When that did happen, she took her chance and punched him across his face, knocking him out cold and ensuring her escape. _

_As she made her way out, two more pirates chose to take her on,and for the first time in her life, she took up a sword. A friend had taught her how to use a club in case she had ever needed to defend herself, so she thought of the metal weapon of death like a hunk of wood. One of the pirates came at her front while the other chose to attack her side and, just in time, she jumped out of the way and let the swords clash. They appeared confused, and she used that to her advantage, grabbing her pouch, she quickly tied it around her waist and pushed the no-longer-confused pirates into the water. _

_She was free._

_Then she heard a grunt produced by pain and exhaustion from above her. Looking up, she found Peter and Hook, the boy's shoulder was pressed against the wall and his teeth were clenched, but he was fighting and he was fighting hard._

_She sighed; she couldn't leave._

_She looked around and grinned, scooping up as many stones as would fit into her hands and ran as close as possible while maintaining a good line of fire. With wicked aim, she threw a stone and struck Hook in his arm. _

_He was surprised at the impact and his momentary confusion gave Peter enough opportunity to pin him to the wall by his shirt with his sword, then render him unconscious with as strong a punch as he could muster. _

_He looked to Pocahontas, his breathing labored and nodded before falling to his knees and then onto his stomach, lost to the world in a forced sleep._

* * *

_She hoisted Peter Pan on to her shoulders and started the long trek off the island as fast as possible. Upon reaching the main island, she had no idea where to go but up—into the trees, that is. When she found one that was flat and sturdy enough, she climbed up and laid Peter on a branch, tying him down so he would not fall off. _

_Pocahontas had never been one for cleaning and tending to wounds, but this was one wound she knew how to heal. Why? _

_It wasn't real. _

_She ripped off part of her clothing and cleaned away the blood as best as she could. With a smile, she shook her head and even laughed. The wound was based on belief. Peter Pan would not have been affected by the strange poison had he been told otherwise. The toxin was based on belief; if he believed that it would hurt him—like the pirate said it would—then in his mind, he would be. He would be dying and hurting and might just die if he continued to believe it._

_But if she convinced him that she had healed him-_

* * *

Emma was silently thinking as she walked through the jungle that was Neverland, following Hook's lead. It was almost impossible to not think about the new knowledge that Tiger Lily—Pocahontas—had presented them. This was a major advantage they had against Pan, but the ghost refused to do anything but tease the boy leader about her existence.

"She's quite a figure, isn't she?" Tinker Bell asked. "Tiger Lily; Snow tells me that she is a hero in your world, too. She saved someone and became a political figure, a princess, even."

She nodded, "Yeah, something like that. I don't think all of it is true, though. In my world she gets married and has a kid. This version of her is different."

"Maybe we'll find out what happens to her; maybe she's just like you."

"Maybe," She murmured, then caught Hook glancing back at her. "What did he do to her to make him fear her? What did he mean by 'he destroyed everything'?" She pointed with her chin to the Captain.

Tinker Bell's face grew grave, "I don't know; all I was told or heard was that he had made her appear unfaithful to the Lost Boys."

"If I ask, do you think he would tell me?"

Tinker Bell snorted, "You could try, lass, but only his crew knew apart from Pan's group about what he did and they would meet death if they spoke of it."

* * *

Henry hadn't seen Pan since he confirmed Tiger Lily's existence; he had not left his tree house. The Boys were antsy, but more real smiles graced their faces than he had seen before. Felix even seemed kinder and the dangerous games that they could not get enough of were played less and less, replaced by other games that did not involve mutilation.

Henry didn't mind playing these games, and even taught a few how to play rock, paper, scissors and funny handshakes. All the while, though, he could not help but wonder what Pan was doing, locked up in his little house with no visitors. Was he grieving, just like Tiger Lily had predicted?

The day was fun, but when the Boys were off on patrol or sleeping, Henry took the opportunity to practice his tree-climbing skills. It wasn't as hard as he thought it was, or at least, getting on to the first branch wasn't as hard as his friends said it was. However, hoisting himself on to the other branches were not the exact opposite. Each branch was different and the strength required to get to the various heights was different. He could feel the blisters forming on to his hands, but pressed on until he could feel the platform and was relieved of the strain.

Crawling to the window, he lifted his head ever so slightly and peered inside.

The tree house was about the size of his room in Storybrooke and was lit by a couple candles and two lanterns parallel to each other. A hammock was against the wall opposite the door and a desk and two tables with papers books and lost things which also filled the shelves along the walls.

Pan was asleep on the hammock, a leg dangling over the side and a hand wrapped firmly around a little china cup and a folded up paper.

Henry climbed in through the window as quietly as possible and went over to the desk where dozens upon dozens of sketches of seemingly random objects lay scattered, but in wonderful condition.

He picked up one of a bird and a smile spread across his face. He took up another, this one of Peter who looked so genuinely happy it didn't seem real. He was smiling and along the bottom of the page was little triangles which must have represented a fire—the artist had drawn Pan having a wonderful time from across the fire.

"You shouldn't take what's not yours,"

Henry whipped around and came face to face with Pan who was glaring death at him. He grabbed his shoulders and began to steer him towards the door, knowing well enough that he could not harm the boy—he needed him too much for her sake. "I-I didn't intend to steal anything, I was just looking, I swear!"

"Get. Out!"

"Why did the Lost Boys stop hunting for lost things?!" He exclaimed. Pan stopped pushing him away.

"_What?"_

"Why is it always night here, now, instead of day? Why can't they tell stories about her? How did she get sick? Why did you become a monster?"

"ENOUGH!" Henry froze as a cold blade was pressed against his throat. Pan growled, "You will not speak to me of her unless I bring her up and you will only answer my questions. You will not ask any of your own, you will not speak with her unless a Boy or I am with you."

"Then she won't come back!" He insisted, then felt the blade to his throat.

"No, you will be the key to it all." He whispered, his eyes glowing with desire and anger. "You have the heart of the truest believer, you can use that power to believe her back to health. She's sick, I know Felix told you that, if you believe, you can save her. She saved me once through belief, now it's time I return the favor."

* * *

_Peter coughed awake, dazed and confused and then found water upon his lips. "Be careful, do not drown yourself yet." His eyes burst open as memories came flooding back and he shoved the water-skin away, forcing himself to sit up as he took into account where his wounds should have been._

_He then looked to Pocahontas who had a patient expression upon her face as well as a smirk, if that was possible. _

"_What?" He demanded. _

"_It worked," She replied and then laughed. It was quite something; her laugh. It rang like little bells in a joyous melody that for all his years of practice, keep a smile off his face at its sound. "Why are _you_ smiling?"_

"_I don't know!" He replied, but suddenly, the entire situation seemed hilarious and they were caught laughing as loud as their hearts desired in a tree for a reason they knew not. "What worked?" Was the question he asked when they had eased their aching cheeks. _

"_Your wound, I healed it through belief. You believed you were dying and therefore, you were dying. I helped you believe you were perfectly fine." _

"_How?" _

"_I can't tell you," She explained with a devilish smile. She stood and swung herself down from the tree as though it was as normal as eating breakfast. "Now will you take me home, please?" _

_Peter frowned, "I'm sorry, you can't go home. Like I said, your grandmother sold you to the island, you belong here from now on." Her expression was blank, but he could see her eyes darting around, searching for a way out. "I can not take you home, but I can offer you a good life on the island. One of fun and adventure, much like the life you dreamed about when you were at home. You would not have gotten that life where you were headed; you would have had to give that up." _

_She looked down, traces of emotion stretching on to her face as the truth of it all hit her. "I will accept your offer," She said slowly, then she looked to him with such determination that he could not help but take a small step back. "But you must understand that I will never stop searching for a way off this island." _

_He nodded, half-smiled and held out his hand, "I can live with that._

* * *

Peter Pan sat on his hammock, swinging angrily back and forth as he thought about his impromptu meeting with Henry. His head was foggy with his mixed emotions and though he displayed his anger so much more than any other feeling, it was one of pain and sorrow that trumped everything. He picked up the teacup that he had clutched in his sleep and made to hurl it at the wall. He stopped before it flew and slowly brought it close, holding it flat on his palm, his chin to his chest, and looked at it until the tears came and blurred its beautiful image and he set it back down.

He could hear the waves crashing upon the shore as though through another person's ears. He could hear the cry of gulls as the flew above and could feel the sun warming his flesh. He rubbed his fingers together, remembering how perfect her hand had fit into his own like they were pieces in a puzzle.

"_What's this?" _The faded echo from a time long ago asked.

"_That's a teacup, it's what little girls might have played with." _His own voice from the past replied.

She had always asked so many questions.

"You don't understand," He whispered, then looked around, perhaps addressing an audience. "I _need_ you. I need you so much more than I could have ever thought. I need your vision and your patience and your hope and your questions and your care and..." He hesitated. He hadn't said the L word in a very long time. "And I-I need..."

The great Peter Pan fell to his knees, not enough will left in him to keep the tears at bay, and wished like the child he was for her.

Hook had been right; she deserved a man, but he was more than willing to become a man for her sake. To leave Neverland behind forever, to leave the Lost Boys forever, to leave boyish games forever. To leave everything. Forever. For her.

Why couldn't she see that?

"Please," He whispered. "Just once, please, talk to me. I need to know _why." _

He looked around, hoping against hope, feeling the wind against his skin, he thought she would appear to him. She didn't. Her messenger boy did.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Pan sneered, standing and removing all forms of the weakling he had been not seconds before.

The hooded man crossed his arms across his white tunic and glared darkly at Pan. "I don't want to be here as much as you don't want me to be here, but this is for her and neither of us can deny that."

Peter shook his head and turned so that his back was to the hermit. "What do you want, Smith?"

"She wishes you the best and asks that you give Henry back to his mother,"

"Not a chance," Pan interrupted. "I need Henry to bring her back."

"What if she doesn't want to be brought back?" He insisted. "She's led a good life, a productive life. One that everyone could be proud of. Don't you think that if you did manage to accomplish such an impossible feat, she might not be happy? Now, I'm not saying do anything drastic, but would it not be easier to...to join her?"

Pan scoffed, "Don't you think I've tried that? I've tried EVERYTHING! If I could get to her, I would. I would do anything to be with her, but that's clearly not going to happen."

He stepped forward, "Peter, please, I-"

"No," He growled. "I will not listen to your ramblings again, old man. I did not want the fate you planned for me and I have _never _considered going back to you or going back to that horrid place that might've been my home once upon a dream."

"I know," Smith whispered. "I'm sorry I failed you, Peter, I really am trying-"

"Enough. You don't have the right to call me that anymore. If you have nothing else important to tell me, then you better be leaving and _not_ returning." Pan's hand was in his pocket, rubbing the paper which he had cradled beside the cup, perhaps hoping it would give him the strength he needed to send the hermit away.

"She wanted me to ask you to trust her. She has a plan to return to you, but she needs time and your trust." He hesitated. "I should not be telling you this, but she is testing you. She wants to see what type of person you've become and if you were the same Peter Pan she loved before."

"I'm through with trusting." He said firmly. He turned to the hooded man and used his finger to stab him in the chest repeatedly with every word. "She spoke to a _boy! _After all these years of me trusting her final words, of accepting her plan to return to me, to her home, I'm done! I will be bringing her back on my own terms and we _will_ finally be together, just like we wanted."

Smith sighed and turned, "Then I'm sorry, and I wish you all the happiness in the world."

"You always did."

With that, the hermit left with his last hopes of redemption for his boy flying away like leaves in the wind.


	4. Without You

**Hey guys, thank you so much for your wonderful reviews and your follows/favorites, etc. Do any of you know the song "Without You" by Breaking Benjamin? It reminds me so much of Peter and Pocahontas/Tiger Lily and I thought I should share that with you guys. *wink wink* Also, I'm having a hard time deciding how I want this story to end, so if you are willing to give up the bliss of not knowing what's going to happen, PM me to help me decide what the heck I should do with this story. I have a few ideas, some better than others, some more emotional than others, etc. If you're willing to help, let me know! Thanks guys! ~A Keeper**

* * *

Two days came and went and Henry waited eagerly for a sign from Pocahontas to show him what he should to. He was eager to speak with her. He had even told Felix that he would ask her if he could bring Pan's right-hand to the next meeting so long as he promised utter secrecy.

He waited and waited, but as the feeling of being forgotten overtook him, he drifted towards sleep.

But not entirely into that unconscious peace.

"Hello, Henry."

Henry woke up and found that he was still in Pan's camp, but there were no Lost Boys and it was _sunny_ out. He smiled upon seeing Pocahontas in all her beauty standing beside him, offering her hand, he accepted and she pulled him up. "Hey, you, you're-" He stammered, realizing what she had just done.

"Not quite," She said with a smile. "Welcome to that little place between sleep and awake. Here I am whole, anyone can be. Before we went to sleep, if we wanted some privacy from the boys, Peter and I would come here to explore and dream and show children the wonders of Neverland. Welcome to the facade of my dream, Henry."

"You dream about Neverland?"

She jerked her head towards the forest—it was a forest here, not a jungle—and they began to walk along a path. "I dream about Neverland as it was. A place of peace, of belonging and of adventure. That is the facade, if I bring you to my actual dream, you would see more of memories and of desires than you would this empty place. I will spare you of my memories, for it's a wonder they did not make _me_ mad, but I wanted to show you what Neverland was like and what it could be like if this turns out for the better."

"What are the chances of it doing that?"

She weighed the possibilities in her head, "It...could be better. I sent a messenger to Peter in hopes that he could talk some sense into him, because his plans could destroy the island altogether, but that didn't work. Needless to say I probably didn't send the best of people to speak to him-"

"Who?"

"His name is John Smith," She explained. "I knew him from the world I came from and he owes me for saving his life, which is why he is doing me these favors. He is a hermit on this island, Peter knows him...from his past, but the only reason Peter keeps him alive is because I begged him to."

"How can I help?"

"Resist."

They came to a door built into a tree with the symbol of a crescent moon attached to a stick at the bottom. Her face paled and she turned away from the door.

No, not a moon, a _hook._

"Peter aims to make you feel lost and abandoned so he can use you to do his bidding," She explained, turning him away from the door. "He means to do more than just bring me back, but he intends to use you nonetheless. If you resist this, it will give me enough time to help your family and their allies save you."

He nodded, "I can do that," He stopped and refused to budge. "But what will happen to Pan?"

She paused, taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and looked away. "Henry, you have to understand that things are...difficult between us. I don't-"

"You loved him then, didn't you?" He asked. "You love him now, don't you?"

"Of course I do, but you see-"

"He's only trying to find the person he loves, because, believe me, he loves you. He's no different from my grandpa, Prince Charming. He's just...going about it another way." Pocahontas shook her head and shrugged. "Everyone deserves true love, even someone as cruel as Pan."

She sighed and a little smile crept upon her lips, "You are a wise boy, Henry. I want to be with the Peter I fell in love with though and over the years, that boy has changed. I am trying my hardest to be with him, but not everything has a happy ending."

"I will do this for you, Pocahontas," He agreed. "But will you at least talk to him? Please?"

"Wait, _me?_ Talk to _Peter?_" She scoffed and looked around, feigning surprise and distaste. "I-I can't. No, I can't. It's been _years. _I just can't pop up and...and I, it's just not right. No, I can't, I won't. It's not _practical_-"

Henry raised an eyebrow and smiled, "It's alright, everyone gets nervous sometimes. You should talk to him, he wouldn't send you away, if that's what you're afraid of."

"No, of _course_ I'm not afraid of him; it's just, he's...he's _Peter_ and I, I'm a _ghost-thing!_ I wouldn't be able to talk to you or your family as often if I spend my strength on him-"

"Pocahontas!" Henry exclaimed, grabbing her shoulders. "What are you afraid of?"

She was quiet for a long time and then murmured, "The last words we shared were ones of anger and hatred. What if...what if he doesn't like the person I've become? What if him using you to get to me is just a cover up for greater plans? What if he doesn't _really_ love me anymore? What if he loves someone else?"

"You'll never know if you never try."

She smiled and nodded, "Alright, I accept." They continued to walk, turning back down the path and past the door with the hook on it. "You know, the first night we came here, I asked him what would have happened if he had died the night I saved him. He kissed my forehead and told me, 'you know that place between awake and asleep? That place where you still remember dreaming? That's where I'll always love you, that's where I'll be waiting.'"

"It'll work out," Henry promised. "True love always does."

"I really hope your right," She sighed hopefully. "Otherwise we might just destroy the universe."

* * *

The Echo Cave. One of the most dangerous places in Neverland.

Peter Pan had created the cave long before Tiger Lily came to the island for a reason few people knew. From the newly gathered information, Baelfire, Emma's lover, was inside. However, to the Captain of the Jolly Roger, there was something of much stronger desire within that he thought would be able to change the course of the war between them and Pan.

Hook walked into the cave knowing well enough what his darkest secret was and he was not very eager to share it.

He looked to the others and knew that he would have to be the one to show them what to do as well as show them the toll that it may or may not take. So, with a heavy heart, he looked across to the cage that held Baelfire and then to the tiny corner where stood a false wall.

He sighed, took a deep breath and turned to them, "I...I kissed Tiger Lily."

"Wait, you _what?"_ Emma asked, casting a glance to Mary Margaret. "You-you _psychotic-_"

"No, no, no, none of that, love," He interrupted, holding up his hand to finish. "I kissed her to get to Pan. I did more than that. My darkest secret is that I used one of the very few people I cared about to settle a score and destroyed her life in the process. My secret? I can't live knowing that her death was my fault."

Hook could only think of Tiger Lily as Emma and the love birds took their turn at the game and as Baelfire was freed, the pirate captain swept passed them and across the bridge to the false wall where he used the word she had given him upon their last meeting (he truly was one out of a hand-full who used her real name) and opened it.

Emma and Neal watched as the pirate went in and were surprised when he came out baring the body of none other than Princess Tiger Lily.

"You couldn't have _lost_ some weight while you were dying, love?" He whispered to the young woman who could not hear her. "Doesn't matter, soon enough you'll be able to run again, princess, I swear it."

* * *

_Pocahontas was running, as she often did, through the forest of Neverland with a smile upon her face and joy in her heart. She had been living on the island for a very long time; she did not know how many years it had been since there was no such thing as time in that wonderful place. It was a good time to be a resident second star to the right. _

_She and Peter had flipped a coin to decide whether they would be exploring the island through flying or running and she had won. _

"_Flying is exhilarating, yes," She had agreed. "But have you ever felt what freedom came with running?" _

_Thus, like most things, it became a game. She laughed at how slow Peter actually was and enjoyed pointing out that anyone can fly, but few can run._

_Upon reaching a clearing, she stopped and hid behind a tree to scare him when he finally caught up to her. Patiently, she waited. _

"_Look what we have here, just who I wanted to speak to." _

_Pocahontas jumped and found herself not alone in the clearing, but standing opposite of the Captain Hook. The young woman was neither armed nor afraid as she had never been when facing him, but she was more dangerous than anything he had ever faced before. _

"_Captain," She nodded in greeting, though remained cautious—incredibly so._

"_Relax," He said. "I only wish to talk." He stepped closer, but she took a step back. _

"_You can do your talking a good distance away from me," She replied. "I'm listening." That was, perhaps, her best and worst feature: she would always listen._

"_What are you doing, mate?" He asked. She raised an eyebrow, but no longer moved back as he came towards her—it might also help that there was a tree at her back. _

"_What do you mean?" _

"_You and __**Pan**__," He replied. "I've heard the rumors floating about the island. 'Princess Tiger Lily has the Great Peter Pan head over heels,' they say. It's particularly obvious that you love him, but he can't love you back." _

"_Of course he can and he is-" _

"_No, no, no, I mean: Pan is frozen at the age of seventeen. He's a boy who can not love you properly in the way you deserve to be loved." _

_He was mere inches from her rather gorgeous being and could see the warnings going off in her eyes by how small the proximity between them was becoming. He could also see the acknowledgment of his point. If he just hit the right nerves and pushed a little further-_

"_He can not love you as a man and you _do_deserve a man, Pocahontas, you should expect nothing less. A man who can care for you, build a home for you, ravish you," His voice became a growl, low and suggestive, but she was already lost too deep in thought to question it. "You won't find that man in Pan." _

"_I won't find him in you, either," She whispered._

"_Ah, but a man's gotta try for one as lovely as you." he leaned forward and met her lips with his own, taking her by surprise. He deduced that she had either never or only kissed once, therefore, he had already brought a whole new variable to the equation and was quite enjoying her surprise and acceptance. It didn't take long for her to kiss back. _

"_Get your ugly face off of her!" They ripped apart and found Pan along with Felix prepared to lose an arrow of death into his face._

"_Peter," She whispered, then ran to him, wrapping him in a warm embrace. For a moment, he was almost jealous of the boy. He then regained his senses and decided to take his leave. _

"_As much as I would like to continue our elongated duel to the death, I really must be going." _

"_Scared?" Pan challenged with a taunt, his arm wrapped around her waist. _

"_No, just too busy." He replied. He winked at Pocahontas and flashed a charismatic grin. "Remember my offer, princess, there's no one else on Neverland who can do that for you." She glared at him, but said nothing against it. _

"_Hook, if you _ever_come near her again, I _will_kill you." _

"_Fair enough," He said, then bid them farewell. _

_He never saw her awake again._

* * *

_Pocahontas sat on her hammock in her tree house, humming an old tune as she sketched. There was a knock at the door and she called, "Come in!" Without taking her eyes off her work. _

"_It's late," Peter said, leaning his back against the door, content to just watch her sketch. "You should be resting, it was a rough day." _

"_Since when do you care about how much sleep I get?" She asked with a smile. She felt a hand on her shoulder and paused to let him examine her work. _

"_You're drawing me?" He questioned. _

"_Why wouldn't I?" _

_He sighed and his hand fell to the small of her back, "I care an awful lot about you, Pocahontas, I really do." _

_She closed her eyes and shook her head, "You heard what Hook said to me." _

"_Pocahontas, you're lucky the whole island didn't hear what he said to you," _

"_But you _control_the whole island, it's the same thing," She mocked, rolling her eyes and shaking her head. She took all of her sketches and stuffed them into a cabinet and then resumed loudly cleaning up her supplies._

"_You're _angry_at me!" He exclaimed. "How could you be angry? If anyone had the right to be so, it should be me! You went off ahead of me and got caught by Hook who then tried to _buy_you! You're not for sale!" _

"_Peter Pan!" She cried in surprise, covering up the hurt his words generated. "Get out, now! I don't need your protection, I didn't get caught by him and I am most certainly not an item to even be considered for keeping or buying! Get out!" _

"_You can't force me to do anything," He said darkly, pinning her to the wall. She refused to look at him, but he took her chin and forced her gaze upon him. "You're forgetting your place, princess. I own you and you listen to me. I do care a great deal for you and your safety, but that doesn't mean you get to push your luck. I can kill you at any time I chose." _

"_Hook was right," She growled through clenched teeth. "You can never be the man I need—and want." _

_He leaned close for a moment, angry words on his tongue, when he shoved her away and stormed out of the tree house. _

_She had tears in her eyes and felt like crying far into the night, but then wiped them away before they came. He didn't like it when the boys cried. With a horrible sadness growing in her heart, she reached for the little box under her bed and pulled out a vile with a cork stopper. _

_In the first month of her living in Neverland, she had mixed together a concoction—a potion, if you will—which would act as a sort of sleeping spell. She would store the energy of years until the boy Peter spoke of who would save magic would come. Then, she would meet him and help him and in return, he would wake her up from her incurable sleep and take her far away from Neverland. An escape. _

_She had saved the potion because she did not know of the consequences, she did not know how long it would be until the boy came and she didn't know if she would love or hate living there. _

_As it turns out, she loved the island and the boys and she had fallen in love with the boy leader who had proven, just as Hook said, to have the heart of a boy who could not love her as she desired and as she loved him. _

_So she wrote a little letter which she sealed with a kiss, drank the potion and got comfortable upon her bed—she would be there for a while._

* * *

_Felix was not the first to notice the absence of Tiger Lily, but he was the first to voice his concerns. Peter had been the first, but he was most certainly not going to be the one to bring it up. He was still bitter about the night before. _

"_Well go wake her and bring her down if you want to play with her!" He exclaimed. "I don't care what you do, just leave me out of it!" _

_Felix knew something was wrong between the two and decided to take up Pan's "order" and went to her little home himself. _

"_Felix, you mustn't say anything," The right-hand knelt beside a pale and deathly looking Pocahontas, taking her hand and feeling a shiver run down his spine at the cold. She looked so miserable, so helpless. He had to find Peter- "Please, please, don't bring anyone else into this. It wouldn't work. I don't want to burden you any longer." _

"_So you decided to kill yourself instead?!" He exclaimed. _

"_No, not kill; apparently, it's taking a bit, but eventually, I will fall asleep. It was not a very certain concoction," She smiled weakly. "I fear that even when I do wake, it will be only to greet death a little while after." _

"_Now, don't go saying stuff like that, Tiger Lily," He said. "You're strong, you'll get through this. I can go to the fountain and bring you back, Peter will-"_

"_I'm sorry," She whispered. "But this is something that can not be cured by the fountain."_

_In spite of what she wanted, word spread through out the camp and, by extension, Peter who refused to see her though the boys kept insisting that he read the letter she had written him. The whole island became a thick jungle, lacking the one person it needed to care for it. _

_On the last day in the last hour of Tiger Lily, Princess of Neverland, the stubborn Peter Pan finally went to her with tears in his eyes which he hid from his boys and grasped her hand. She slipped the letter to him as their fingers intertwined, her hold so weak in his own. She smiled despite the pain that was overwhelming and looked into his beautiful eyes for as long as possible, the world growing foggier. _

"_You stupid, idiot girl." He whispered almost affectionately._

_She shook her head and with her remaining strength, murmured, "After all we've been through together, on my deathbed, all you can say to me is that?" Her eyes clouded over and the caressing of her hand by his thumb which he had not noticed until then ceased. _

_It was upon that day that Peter Pan's heart grew dark and twisted. He sealed her dying body in a tomb in the Echo Cave and let the island run wild without care as he had become. He no longer allowed children on to the island, for they reminded him too much of she who had loved them so dearly and who had told him of how, when she figure out how to leave, would fall in love and begin a family of her own. _

_The boys could no longer go to the beach where Lost Things lay, for it reminded him of the time he had spent searching for them with her. The places she had created became desolate and fell to ruin. The boys played darker games now, as they had no one to care for them and did not take a second thought as she would have. No stories were ever told of her after that._

_Peter became obsessed with her; wanting her, needing her, willing to give up everything for her, but he was forced to be patient. He had to wait for the boy who matched her sketch to come and wake her from her sleep so that they could be together again. Not only would said boy restore magic, he would restore _their_magic. The magic that had escaped him so long ago. _

_Yes, Peter Pan loved Pocahontas stronger than any man's love for a woman and it would be by this love that anyone ended up surviving this story at all._

* * *

**This chapter is dedicated to Honeydewmelon56, Superdani4ever, HerimoneandMarcus, Lionsandtrolls and MaddQueen, you're the best!**


	5. My Peter Pan

**This is probably one of my favorite chapters to write and please don't kill me! Why? You'll find out soon...**

**Superdani4Ever: Please no harming yourself, 'tis just a story. I'm sorry that I put you through such emotional trauma, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to do it a little more. In case no one noticed yet: I tend to take the more depressing route in these stories. My apologies and thank you for your thoughts.**

**FOREVERMORE: Thank you so much for your review, I think it would be amazing if his backstory would be like this, but I am optimistic about his real OUaT backstory ;) Thank you for your motivational words.**

**Enjoy! ~A Keeper **

**P.S. I apologize for the weird paragraphs, the document didn't print the spaces -_- I fixed them, but still. Grr. **

* * *

"What the heck do you think you're doing?!" Emma exclaimed after leaving the Echo Cave behind. "That's _not _what I think it is!"

"It's not," He agreed, shifting her into a more comfortable carrying position. "She's still alive, she's just in a self-bestowed sleeping spell."

"And _why_ did you rob her from Pan? Surely he knows by now that we have her body!" Charming exclaimed. "He'll be hunting us."

"She would've thought of that, too," Hook murmured, then turned to Snow. "Would you mind moving her head on to my shoulder? I don't want to mess up her head any more than it is."

She rolled her eyes, but complied with his request. Tiger Lily was young, not as young as she looked, but young. She had been frozen at a young woman's age and naturally, because she had missed out on Emma's life, she had felt a sympathy for children. "What's your big plan, Hook? You're not going to hurt her, are you?"

He looked at her in surprise, "After my big confession, you still think I'm capable of hurting her? I'm hurt that you would even consider it!"

"_What _do you plan to do with her?" Emma demanded. "How will she be able to help us if she's...not here?"

"I owe it to her to help her. _You_, Emma, could be the key to it all and if we have Tiger Lily, we can bargain for Henry." He explained. "She will help us, I know it."

She sighed, staring at the girl in Hook's arms. "What do I have to do?"

* * *

Pocahontas was on the platform outside Peter Pan's tree house, procrastinating. Every few minutes, she would glance over the edge and see Henry, who smiled up to her patiently, nodding for her to continue. She twisted her hands worriedly, biting her lips and watching the door in fear and hope that he would open it and see her so she did not have to go in.

She had imagined how she would get home a thousand times over, but none of those ideas ever involved speaking to Peter again. She was not mad at him, she could never stay mad at him, but he was stubborn and could hold a grudge for centuries. What if that was the case with her?

She took a deep breath and went to...to what? Knock? You don't have hands, smart one. She groaned and rolled her eyes, deciding that walking to the window would have to suffice.

She forced herself to move to the window and peered inside. Peter was at a desk, her sketches scattered about him while his hands and eyes were on the teacup they had salvaged from the beach together.

Pocahontas smiled—he did care for her. Eagerly, she called his name, "Peter!" Or tried to. Her brows furrowed and she clutched her throat. Trying again to call his name, she found that she could not speak. She went to enter the tree house, but found her feet frozen to the spot. She tried to scream, to call for help, to call for him, for Henry, for anyone, but she was alone.

She looked up with tears streaming from her eyes, her hand extended towards Peter who did not turn to her, who could not hear her and closed her eyes, ready to accept death after all those years.

When she opened her eyes, she knew she was not dead.

* * *

Everything was too foggy, her limbs hurt as though they were actually hers again and her senses seemed overwhelmed. "Peter," She croaked, but he did not come to her.

"Sorry, lass, I'm not Peter,"

Her eyes snapped opened and she sat up, pain suddenly exploding in her chest. She coughed like she had been under water and grasped her head to steady the stars. Looking around, she found to her great surprise, Emma, Baelfire, Snow White, Prince Charming, Tinker Bell and Captain Hook. "What-what happened?" She scrambled to her feet and took hold of the nearest tree to support herself. "Take it easy, Tiger Lily," Tinker Bell said. "Emma just brought you back from the dead."

"She _what?" _

"Jeez, don't sound so happy," Bae muttered.

Tears filled her eyes, "I was just about to...I just...and Henry! He doesn't know-"

"What about Henry?" Emma asked. Apparently, 'Henry' was her "squirrel."

"He-he wanted me to talk to Peter, to make amends with him. I promised him that I would, he thinks I'm still there, he thinks I'm still a ghost." She explained.

"Can you get him back?"

She took a breath and nodded, then turned to Emma with a weak smile, "I told you that you were more than I imagined. I will go back, _alone,_ and exchange myself for your son. I will then do everything in my power to convince him to let you leave, but he wanted Henry for more than just bringing me back. Magic is dying and Henry is the key to it all."

"I don't think you should go alone," Tinker Bell stated. "I know you and Peter have a thing, but there's no guarantee that you'll be exchanged for Henry."

"He will," She promised. "I just need to be able to get there on my own two feet."

* * *

Henry became worried. Nothing had changed in a good few hours and he wondered if Tiger Lily had even spoken to Peter.

He sighed and went to find a Lost Boy who he could play a game with. _"Henry," _He looked around. Could it be his imagination? Or, perhaps, was it...

"Henry, please, come here," He looked around, making sure that he would not be followed as he slipped into the brush and joined Tiger Lily.

"You're alive!" He exclaimed in a whisper. She took his hand and chuckled. "You're real, how? What happened? Did you talk to Pan?"

"No, I'm sorry," She shook her head. "I meant to and I was going to, but your mother brought me back."

"They _did?_" His eyes lit up in excitement which brought a knowing smile to her face. She had loved telling children stories about the adventures upon Neverland, why not tell him about his parents adventure in saving her? "They _really_ did save you?"

"Of course," She cast a glance to the camp. "And now it's my turn to save you. Go get Peter, tell him you want to play a game, you can bring Felix, too, if you want, but say that you're waiting for another to come and play. You will wait for me to muster my courage. Can you do that for me, Henry?"

He nodded vigorously, "I'll get them now!"

"No, Henry, wait!" She hissed, but the boy was already off. She sighed and for the first time in her life, wanted to absolutely not exist. She wasn't ready to talk to Peter. Sure, she had tried when she was ghost, but in that form, she could leave any time she wanted and didn't have to be a victim of the possible physical consequences, but now? What would he say? What would he do? What if she couldn't get Henry home?

She took a deep breath and made herself comfortable; there was no use worrying about something that was no longer in her control. What was going to happen was going to happen and she could do nothing about it.

* * *

"What game are we playing, Henry?" Peter asked. "Charades? Follow the leader? Cat and mouse?"

"We just have to wait a little longer," He insisted. "I invited another person to play with us, they'll be here really quick, I promise."

"You know well I don't go back on my promises, but what about you and yours?" Peter asked with a playful grin. He didn't mind spending time with the boy, it just meant that he might get the chance to see her.

A rustle in the leaves caught his ears and he stood abruptly, his hand upon his dagger. As the intruder emerged, his eyes widened and his mouth, agape and unable to make sound.

"Um, hello, Peter," Pocahontas said, glancing up to meet his eyes for a brief moment before resting her gaze upon the feet in front of her ground.

Henry popped up between them (almost out of the ground) and smiled that silly childish smile. He turned to Peter, "Well, aren't you going to say 'hi'?"

Peter's mouth still hung open in surprise, but his hand reached out, hesitant. His fingertips hovered over her cheek, ever so slightly brushing her skin as if afraid that if he touched her, she would disappear.

He took her face in his hands and pulled her to him, smashing his lips to hers with a fury never before seen with the eyes of any human, beast or magical being of any world. They kissed one another by the justice of true love and did not care who gazed upon them, whether it be the little boy, the man who had tried to be the father he never could, the pirate lurking behind the bushes or the mother who had wanted her son so desperately, she nearly missed the greater meaning of it all.

Pocahontas was sobbing and shaking her head, whispering between long awaited kisses, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, this is all my fault."

"It doesn't matter," he finally said, framing her face with her hands and resting his forehead against hers. "None of it matters, we're together now and that's all I've wanted for the last two hundred years."

She laughed and he kissed her again, "I love you,"

"I love you, too, Peter Pan, _my _Peter Pan."

She could have stared into his beautiful eyes forever and was planning on it, until an unnatural movement caught her eyes. "Peter!" she pushed him aside and for a fleeting moment, everything seemed fine, and then the next, it felt as though her body was being ripped apart, sliced up and then sliced again. She looked down and found the hilt of a silver blade protruding from her body.

It wasn't any blade, though, it was enchanted and, meaning to kill Peter Pan, was strong enough to do so.

She looked up into familiar eyes dusted by age. "Rumpelstiltskin?" she whispered. With a cry, she pulled out the blade and looked at her hand, her eyes widening in horror as she gazed upon her own blood.

"Tiger Lily?" The older man asked.

"Peter," She breathed, her hand reached out for him while the other dropped the knife as she fell backwards. Her breathing came in gasps and everything else seemed to become foggy and came in and out of focus.

She thought she heard her name repeated, but it seemed that whatever magic was used was working fast. She shook her head and forced sense, but knew it wouldn't last long.

"Pocahontas," Peter said. She could feel his arms around her, holding her close. "Pocahontas, look at me! Please, I just need you to stay with me for a little while longer."

It was almost as though the air was trying to choke her, but she would not give up so easily. "I must be alive if I'm bleeding," she smiled.

He could not help but laugh, "Now's not the time for jokes, princess."

"I've been waiting so long to hear you call me that," she grasped his hand and then began to choke. A vile taste filled her mouth and she felt it dribble down her chin.

Peter wiped it away, "Just stay awake a little longer, Felix is going to get the water from the fountain. Everything will be fine in the end, I promise."

She reached up, needing to have something to bring out his face in the world of watercolor. "I know."

_I love you so much, Peter. If Felix is too late, I don't care. No matter how small a time it was, you and I were finally together. _

_Goodbye, Peter Pan._

_My Peter Pan. _


	6. Hoodwink

**Bonus chapter time!**

* * *

"I kept a spare around in case anything bad should happen," Felix said as he hurried to her side, raising the gourd of fountain water to her lips. "She'll be alright."

Peter stood and turned menacingly to the two who had brought such disaster upon him. "_You_," He hissed. A shadow was holding Regina off the ground by her throat and the Dark One was flicking back and forth in horror between Tiger Lily and his hands. Peter took his dagger, which was coated in dreamshade, and brought it to the evil Queen's throat. "You almost took her away from me, I _will_ make you pay for that,"

He pulled his arm back, but a choking and sputtering caught his attention and he turned to her, _dropping_ the weapon, he took her back in his arms and held her close. "Don't...don't kill them," She whispered.

She took a breath and stood, refusing the help of Peter to stand on her own. "Peter, may I have your blade?"

He raised and eyebrow, but a knowing smile crossed his face. He held out the knife to her, his hand on the blade so that she could take the hilt. She looked to Henry who was in the arms of his parents and grandparents, watching her warily. "You see, Henry, as much as I am the Pocahontas you have met and grown to care about, nobody lives in Neverland without having their own dreams."

She bent down and cut her shadow from her body. "I'll help you out, Charming," she turned to the Prince. "As long as a part of you stays in Neverland, you are home free. You do know what that means don't you?"

He glared at her, "It means that you're one of them."

She laughed, "It means that beside Peter, I lead this little conquest."

"_What?" _Henry as dumbfounded.

"You see, I corresponded with Peter over my death sentence, I saved enough energy to speak with you, but that didn't mean I couldn't write letters or give signs, or sketches." She held up her hand and in that moment, the Lost Boys attacked, eventually separating the protective guardians from Henry who was taken by Tiger Lily.

"You're just like him!" Henry exclaimed. "A monster! I thought you loved him!"

"I do," She said, feigning confusion as to his cry. "There's two types of true love, Henry. What your grandparents have, and what Peter and I have. The difference, you ask? Ours is stronger."

Peter snapped his fingers and a cloud of smoke encircled the three. "It's time to play a game!" Peter cried over the noise. "One last time, and there's no stopping us, now that you've reunited us." He reached out and took her hand, smiling darkly as they disappeared

All that time faking sympathy and teaching the boys the image they should present of Pocahontas and most of it was true, they had just skirted the truth, was worth it.

They were finally together after her silly mistake and they were finally going to restore the magic of the world forever so that they could be together for all eternity.

* * *

**Sorry if it doesn't fit super well, but I will rewrite the entire story to accompany this twist. I bet you didn't see that one coming...**

**But hey, at least they're together, right?!**


	7. The Shadow Man

**The continuation of the "bad" Pocahontas is here! ****_IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT, PLEASE READ THROUGH, YOU MAY END UP ENJOYING IT!_**

** Thank you so much for all the reviews, favorites and follows! I love all the reviews, the good, the bad, the harsh, the nice, the cruel, the sweet, the etc. They are all amazing and helpful in their own way. It's 9:45pm. right now, which means you guys owe me one! I "need" to be in bed by 9:05 or else my body decides to be dysfunctional in the morning and I have two major tests and a big project that I have to do! So consider yourself lucky!**

** Anyway, next chapter will be dedicated to all the new reviews of the last few chapters since I'm lazy and tired now, so please enjoy!**

** I apologize to those of you who I've dragged on this emotional rollercoaster, I really did have one original story at the beginning, but as I wrote it out, it began to take a life of its own and boom! I'm showing you all of the ideas of this I have. I may move the "good" Pocahontas part to another story, but that all depends and if I do, I'll let you know. **

** Alright, enough of my yapping! Enjoy ~ A Keeper**

* * *

Henry, Peter Pan and Tiger Lily landed on the cliff edge of the island which overlooked the vast waters which drew on forever and ever. "I'm going to go find the Lost Boys," Tiger Lily told Peter, not even sparing a glance for Henry. "I'll be back in a bit."

"Pocahontas," Peter reached out and took her wrist while his eyes remained transfixed upon the moon's gleaming reflexion upon the water. "Be careful."

"Always,"

Henry pulled his knees to his chest and rested his chin upon them, fighting off the tears which clouded his eyes. It wasn't like her at all. How could such a wonderful person as she turn into _that_ so abruptly? She had been so understanding, so genuine, so _amazing._

Now...

Peter kicked something off the cliff in an angry rage and shouted to the water a battle cry of frustration and sadness. Henry's eyes widened at the strange display, but was too afraid to open his mouth to ask anything.

"Idiots," Pan whispered, running a hand over his face and pinching the bridge of his nose. "They did the spell wrong."

"W-What?"

Peter turned to him and raised an eyebrow upon noticing the fresh tears in his eyes, but shook his head. He continued to throw stones into the water, but spoke as well, "Your mother, she performed the spell to bring...her back. She did it wrong."

"Is that why she...?"

Peter nodded, "Pocahontas and I have traveled very far together and we have done a great deal of things, as well. One adventure, I had underestimated our enemy. We nearly died, but she saved us. In the process, she locked away the shadow of a very dark man in her soul to protect us and everyone else from ever having their lives destroyed by it again. Somehow, she was able to keep it locked up, but using the sleeping spell meant that she lost control, it's why I never tried to awaken her when I had the chance."

"Waking her up could have killed all of you," Henry finished. Finally, he understood...sort of. "If this is true, why did you help her when she obviously became dark? You could have sided with my family, we could have-"

"No, we couldn't have." he crushed the rock in his hand and let the dust slide to the ground. "The shadow within her is too powerful. When she cut off her shadow, she cut out the part of her soul which contained the Pocahontas _we_ knew."

Henry looked around, then leaned in towards Peter, "What can we do?"

"Peter?" rang the voice of the young woman they were speaking of.

"Not now, later."

Henry nodded; he was not going to lose her. Peter was not going to lose her.

* * *

"_Where are we going?" Pocahontas whispered excitedly as she and Peter flew on to the porch of a lone hut in the middle of a vast swamp land—the only sign of life for miles around. _

"_Sh," Peter held a finger to his lips but grinned in delight. "My shadow has informed me that there's a new force to reckon with, I thought we ought to show him our might." _

_She raised an eyebrow playfully at him, but her voice was all seriousness, "Are you sure that is wise, Peter? We don't want to provoke a friend-" _

"_Aw, stop you're worrying," he took her hand and smiled, "I have everything under control and you're no fun when you're cautious." _

_She stuck out her tongue and they chuckled quietly, turning abruptly towards the door and concealing their frightened faces when it creaked open. "Are they expecting us?" she whispered, taking a firmer hold on his proffered hand. He did not reply._

_Slowly, they crept in to the house which was far more strange on the inside than on the outside. It had dozens of bookcases lining the walls that bore not only books with strange markings and words, but shrunken heads, jars of peculiar substances, pieces and parts. A pot of a dark red type of stew or soup was boiling over a fire which eerily enough had no smoke beside a large wooden rocking chair._

"_You see?" he asked, taking a seat in the chair and throwing his feet up to rest upon the bar which held the stew. "Nothing to worry about at all, he's not even home!"_

_Pocahontas warily went to the bookshelves to examine the books, still not entirely satisfied with the situation. She traced her finger along the book, then pulled one out. Flipping through it's pages, she tried to decipher the manuscript only to find that the words were fading away as though erased by an unknown force. She looked to Peter, who had closed his eyes and gasped when she saw a man hovering over him, watching him intently. "Pete-"_

_A ghost-like black hand covered her mouth, muffling her cries and holding her hands behind her back. _

_His eyes snapped open and he looked over to her and his eyes widened, "Hey-" _

_The man behind him placed a hand on Peter's shoulder and held him so firmly she could hear bones crack. "Now, who be trespassing on our property? Surely rambunctious kids such as yourselves wouldn't live very close to here. Lost, perhaps?" _

"_In a way," Peter replied darkly, using magic to shock the man into letting him go. "We came to investigate someone known by the name of The Shadow Man. Now, if you would please let my friend go, we can resume this like gentlemen." _

_The Shadow Man gave a devilish smile, "Ah, but you're not a gentlemen, are you, Peter? Just a silly little boy trying to impress a rather pulchritudinous lady." He took her hand, stooped down in a bow and kissed it. "Release her, Shadow, let her be free." _

_The Shadow grinned and let go of her; instantly, she made her way to Peter who took her hand to reassure her. He picked up the book she had been pondering on and whistled, "You sure picked a strange book out of them all, madame. This one holds all the good spells, the ones I use so very often. How to turn people to frogs, how to animate a shadow, how to hold a demon in your soul," he eyed them carefully. "How to deal with trespassers."_

_Peter stepped forward, pushing Pocahontas behind him. "You do not frighten us. We a strong and can destroy you as easily as you were created. Do not test us." _

_The Shadow Man chuckled and was slowly joined by other shadows upon the wall and even the shrunken heads on the shelves, all laughing at the pair in a hideous, demonic cackle. "Test you? I wouldn't dream of it!" he exclaimed, "I mean to control you." _


	8. Shanti

**I have to say, I really enjoyed writing this chapter, especially Rumple and Pocahontas' "argument." I hope you enjoy! This chapter is dedicated to all the reviewers who have been amazing and supportive during this. I know it's really choppy, but I do plan on going back and revising it as soon as I complete it. **

**I also cut out the "good Pocahontas" end because, well, yeah. If you really like it and really want it, let me know and let me know what you think about this chapter! Thanks! ~A Keeper **

* * *

_The Shadow lunged for Pocahontas, but Peter pushed her aside and moved just out of the way, only to be struck on his head by The Shadow Man's cane, opening a nasty cut from the middle of his forehead to his temple. _

"_Shadow, let the girl be," Shadow Man said, waving the black being over. It had been holding a jagged, rusty dagger over her pale and seemingly unconscious body where it lay upon the floor. Peter wanted to reach for her, to help her or comfort her or somehow show that he was going to find a way out of this, but he dared not show her worth to the man who held their lives in his hands. _

_Shadow Man waved his hand lazily and Peter flew into the wall, pinned their by magic and Shadow. "You don't mess with a shadow, boy," The man clucked. "Their stronger than any physical being and they teach their physical form enough magic from their own world to outmatch anything." _

_Pocahontas' vision was shaky at best, but she knew what she had to do. _

_The book she had found was lying on the floor near The Shadow Man's feet, but with a little bit of magic she pulled it over to her. Opening the book, she made to furiously flip through the pages, only to have a harsh wind push the thin parchment to just what they needed._

_Looking around, she wondered what had caused such a thing to happen as she had learned that nothing was coincidence, but upon seeing Peter struggling to fight against his assailants, she began to read. _

"_Invoco te in," she began, gaining the attention of the others. "Carnem amici tui in animo de praedsidio tenebrarum."_

_The Shadow had tried to stop her, but it was too late. Her back was to the wall, watching as The Shadow's empty eyes grew wide with fear and realization and was dragged by an invisible force towards her. _

_When it reached her, it stretched strangely and she closed her eyes, her mouth open against her will as she felt the dark being join her, the cry of pain that echoed from her, she didn't recognized as her own. _

"_No!" Peter and The Shadow Man exclaimed in unison. _

_Pocahontas dropped to the floor, clutching her throat and choking violently as The Shadow attempted to fight back. Peter gave Shadow Man a good whack on his head which knocked the surprised man against the wall, sliding down as he watched her battle. _

_Peter ran to her side, but she pushed him aside, shaking her head and telling him without words that it wasn't safe. She was on her hands and knees, trying to breathe through the darkness, black and red blood dripping to the floor._

"_Look at me," Peter commanded, not willing to let her suffer alone. "Pocahontas, look at me." _

_Hesitantly, she did so, and in that moment, Peter Pan feared that she had grown up, for she looked as though she had. Tears glistened in her old eyes that bore more wisdom and understanding than any adult Peter had seen before. Her quaking hands seemed wrinkled with her work which had saved his life and countless others before. Her lips were stained dark by the blood and looked as though she had put on...what was it called? Lipstick or something of the sort. _

_He reached out and lightly caressed her cheek with his thumb, feeling her quiver as her rasping breath finally came out. _

"_Peter," She whispered, her sweet voice cracking again. "Never again." _

_He smiled and pulled her into his arms, ignoring the blood that had taken root in his clothing. They stood, not daring to break apart from one another as they looked over to where The Shadow Man should have been. _

_Peter felt her hold him closer at the sight, or lack thereof, but he smiled and reassuring whispered, "I'll find him, he lost a lot of power, you don't have to worry about him anymore." He felt her nod and left the ground, flying to the second star to the right, oblivious to the old woman who gazed upon them fondly with a light smile in her wrinkled face. _

* * *

Pocahontas, er, what's left of her tended to vanish quite a bit, which scared Henry. However, it didn't seem to bother Peter, who took him by his shoulder and steered him to the beach where a single long boat sat upon the shore.

"You want to know how to save Pocahontas?" he asked as they climbed in. "This is it."

"What do I have to do?" Henry questioned.

"Only I can save her, it would take years to teach you and we don't have that time," he explained, rowing as fast as possible. "I need your heart, Henry."

"I believe in you, I believe we can save her, why do we need to go-"

"No, no, I need your _heart,_" he interrupted. "I don't have the power to do this anymore and the only place we can do this properly is at Skull Rock, that's where we're headed. Are you sure you're up for this, Henry?"

"You mean you're not going to force me into this?"

Peter stopped rowing and let the oars slump out of his grasp. "I'll turn around right now if you want me to. The consequences for this are severe, if I take your heart, you'll become what Pocahontas was for a time until The Shadow can be defeated. She wouldn't want you to do this, which is why you have the choice."

Henry shook his head, "Keep going, don't stop. She deserves a happy ending," hesitantly, he added, "And so do you."

* * *

_Later..._

"Whoa! Careful with that!" Neal shouted as Regina's fireballs of fury backfired.

"Try all you want, but their magic is too powerful," Rumpelstiltskin said, his eyes on the line which guarded Henry from his rescue. He sighed, "At least for you."

Stepping through the line like it was nothing, he turned and desperately wished it had failed to work.

"How did you do that?" Emma asked.

"The spell was designed to keep anyone who casts a shadow from entering."

"And you don't have one," Neal concluded. "You were telling the truth about ripping your shadow off-"

"And Pan knows it," He added. "That's why he cast the spell he did. This isn't about keeping you out, it's about drawing me in. He knows I won't give up the chance to finish what I came here to do."

"You really did come here to save Henry,"

"And Tiger Lily, she's not what you think." He said with a nod, then gestured to Pandora's box. "I gave you my trust with that box, now I need you to give it back."

Neal went to give it to him, but Regina snatched it, and slowly extended her arm to him. "You better come through gold, or else I'll make whatever they have planned for you look like child's play. You understand me?"

He took it, "I highly doubt that, but you're welcome to try, deary."

"Wait," Emma said just as he had turned to leave. "Tiger Lily, why does she mean so much to you? When you stabbed her, you were upset, what is she to you?"

Slowly, he turned around and swallows away the 'none of your business.' "Because, Ms. Swan, she's all I have left of my mother."

* * *

"Hello, Rumpelstiltskin,"

He turned abruptly at the sound of her sweet voice possessed by a demonic monster. "I thought you'd be with Pan."

"No," she shrugged, jumping down from her perch to circle him. "He didn't tell me he was coming her, which I found rather odd, but he has his reasons _I'm sure." _

"Where's Henry?"

"You mean our great-grandson?" she raised an eyebrow, smirking at his refusal to react. "I understand you've told the others at least who I am, but not Peter? Not even your own son? Hm."

"You are not her, Shadow," he growled. "You could never be her."

"Really?" Darkness swelled in her eyes as she glared at him with a vile smile. "I don't think you quite understand what it is the Shadow does. It _releases_ me. It emphasizes the pieces of me that I had kept hidden for so long. Now, we're not here to talk about me, we're talking about your father. Why tell them about me, but not him?"

"Because he is nothing but a coward to me," Why was he answering her? He didn't need to. Or did he? "And you're nothing but a spirit."

"We both know if that were true, he and I would already be in that box."

"You don't think I can do it?" He muttered in realization. "You let me inside just to taunt me?"

"No, to see you again," It was his turn to raise his eyebrow as she approached him. "I've been asked to give you one last chance. Stay with us, let this go. Let's start over."

For a moment, he could almost hear her talking through.

"Do you think I want to be with him? That I could ever forgive him after abandoning me?"

"You forgave me," she grinned and turned to face the large hourglass. "I'm disappointed, Rumple. After all these years I'd thought you'd be more...understanding, considering you did the same thing to your son. You traded Baelfire for the power of a dagger, and he traded you for youth. You're a lot more alike than you care to admit."

"We are nothing alike-"

"Oh, of course you are, I can hear his voice ringing through yours!" She cried with a bark of laughter. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, neither one of you were cut out to be father."

"I regretted leaving my son the moment I let him go," He said. "I spent my life trying to find him, to get him back and what did he do? He forgot about me. But you, the Pocahontas that is still in you somewhere, Shadow, were destined to be a perfect mother."

Her face fell and she looked away from him, her fists clenching and her jaw tightening as an unknown battle raged within her. "He never forgot about you! Why do you think he calls himself 'Peter Pan?' At night while the boys cry out for their mothers, he yearned for his son. _He_ forgot about _me!_"

"Don't think for a moment I believe it's because he cares for me."

"But he does," Her voice was so weak now, like the whisper she had used as she lay dying in the arms of her lover—his father. But when she turned to him, he knew that there was such small hope of bringing her back, he might as well try to resurrect Mina from the dead. "If you put down that box, you'll see it's true. We could make the fresh start you always wanted, together, just as we planned."

She held out her hand. He was appalled by the fact that he even _considered_ her offer. "Oh, I'm going to make a fresh start, just not with him—or you."

He waved his hand over the box, part of him willing himself not to trigger it, the other part wanting to send The Shadow and its host body to the depths of hell, only to find that it wasn't working.

She scoffed and smiled as he whispered, "I don't understand."

"'Cause you don't have it!" She cried, revealing the box to be in her own hands.

"You switched them?"

"Follow the lady," She muttered. "Still having trouble believing. In Neverland, all you have to do is think of something to have it. Even something fake; but the real one, well, let's see what it can do."

She opened it, "No!" He cried and made to close it, but it was too late, he felt his body as it shrunk and folded and cut itself and churned as he was pulled into the box and gazed up into the fading light as it closed, hearing her haunting voice, "Sorry, Rumple, you had your chance. The choice was yours."

Her eyes widened and the box tumbled from her grasp, choking she fell to the floor, clutching her throat. She felt something hot and watery drip from the corners of her mouth and wiped it away, finding that it was dark black, her eyes clouded completely black and she growled in an inhuman voice, "Stop fighting, or I kill your son and your lover."

Almost instantly, the fighting within her died. She twisted her neck, which cracked awfully as the darkness faded away once more.

"Be careful, girly," she warned. "Let's not lose that pretty head of yours."

* * *

"It's time Henry," Peter said. "Time to save magic, to save Pocahontas, Neverland, your family, everything."

Henry nodded and, shaking, reached for his chest. Peter took his hand and stopped it, "You don't have to do this, you can walk out, right now, and no one would blame you."

He thought for a moment, then shook his head, "I have to do this. Heroes have to make sacrifices all the time, my family taught me that."

Peter smiled and retreated his hand. "Let me help you," He took Henry's hand and performed magic upon it so it would make the transaction easier. "It will make it go by painlessly."

Henry reached in and pulled out his heart as though it was as simple as plucking an apple from a tree. It glowed with a gold hew.

"Henry, stop!" He turned to see Emma, Neal and Regina running in. "Whatever Pan's telling you to do, don't do it!"

"Henry, I need you to listen to me," Neal said. "Pan is lying to you."

"Good to see you too, Baelfire," Pan muttered.

"Please, listen to me, you need to get away from him now, he's trying to hurt you." Emma said.

"No, you don't understand, it's the heart of the truest believer, it's what's going to save Neverland, it's going to save Pocahontas and all of you."

"No, it's not," Regina shook her head. "I'm sorry, sweetie, but Pocahontas, she can't be saved, the only person Pan is interested in saving is himself."

"That's not true!" Henry exclaimed, tears climbing into his eyes. Why were they making this so hard?

Pan turned Henry to face him forcefully, frightening him so much more than he needed to be. "Henry, remember, you don't have to do this. You can walk away, with your family, right now."

"Every hero gets tested," Henry whispered. Apparently, Emma had heard him.

"I know what being a hero looks like," She said. "But this isn't it."

"Henry, you have to believe us," Regina begged.

"Please, trust us."

Henry glanced towards the hourglass, which was rapidly declining.

"We love you, Henry"

"We believe in you,"

"I love you, too." He finally said. "But I have to save her."

"No, no, no!"

"I'm sorry,"

Henry thrust the heart into Peter who gasped in momentary pain, and from him came a massive green light which sent a staggering wave washing over Neverland.

Peter was breathing heavily, casting his gaze upon the silent body of Henry. He knelt beside the boy and whispered, "I will come back for you, even if I have to fight to save you, I _will_ come for you. Else, Pocahontas would have my head." He huffed a laugh and then stood, closing his eyes, he felt himself lift into the air and truly fly for the first time in years.

Henry's family had already surrounded him and he actually felt a bit of guilt come over him as he flew out of the eye, scooped up The Shadow-in-Pocahontas'-clothing, holding her close and imagining that she was actually there in his arms.

"I love you," He whispered.

She said nothing back.

* * *

_A young, seven-year-old Rumpelstiltskin knelt beside the bedside of his mother in their small house no bigger than a carriage and a half. "Could we play today, Mama?" He asked._

_The woman reached out and stroked his hair, "I wish I could, but I do not bare the strength to. Perhaps a story?"_

_A smile lit up the boy's face and he nodded vigorously, climbing into the bed to sit beside her, holding her delicate hand in both of his as he waited eagerly for her to begin. "Once upon a time, in a land only known to our imagination, there lived a boy. Not an ordinary boy, a wonderful boy, much like you, Rumple. All children must grow up, save for one-" she coughed, covering her mouth, though the boy could see bright red splotches upon the comforter. _

"_Rumple, I love you dearly, you know I do, but now I ask you to find your father, we shall continue this story another time." _

_The boy nodded and ran. His mother closed her eyes and leaned back as the pain overtook her. _

"_I can help you, you know." _

_She opened one of her glazed eyes to meet the clear blue of her friend. "No, Cora, I will not pay the price you've asked of me." _

_Cora sat beside her and shook her head, "You will die and leave behind a wonderful son and a...a husband." _

_She shook her head and rolled her eyes, "After all these years, you still disapprove of my decision."_

_They chuckled until a coughing fit took hold of her. "If you'd just let me-" _

"_No!" She gasped, searching for air which barely came. "I swore never to bring magic into this household, please honor that for me, my friend." _

_Cora sighed, "I will, but you promised to live to see my daughter."_

"_The daughter you will name after yourself?" She laughed, "Trust me, Cora, I will see her." _

_She smiled and turned away, her pale eyes found their gaze upon the window where the sunshine was slipping through fluffy clouds, making the trees glitter, unnaturally beautiful. "You know, I always believed that to die would be the greatest adventure of them all. It is a shame there is no way to prepare."_

_Her features froze, her mouth slightly open and her eyes frozen upon the trees and her body becoming wax._

_Cora clenched her jaw. _

"_Shanti?" _

_She looked up and with a twirl of her hand, disappeared from the view of the poor man and boy who found their wife and mother dead upon the bed. _

"_Shanti, no! Come back, please!"_

"_Mama?" _

"_Let her be, boy, let her be." _

_2 Days Later_

_It was raining the day they buried Shanti; and though a few were in attendance, the whole world mourned her loss. Cora remained hidden behind trees, waiting as eventually, even the father and son left. _

"_I did not bring magic into your household, just as I promised, but I will not let you die, my friend." She whispered, placing a hand on her swollen belly. "As soon as my Cora is born, I will trade my life for yours. I will awaken you. You will not remember me, you will not remember your family, but you will live, and such will be enough." _

_With that, Cora swept away, patiently awaiting a time when Shanti would once again join the worlds of the living, but not as who she once was. Though it would seem by fate's cruel and forgiving hand, the family would find each other again as people different from their young days, yet still love each other as though nothing had changed, even in spite of the aftermath of her death. _


	9. Secrets

**Sorry for the wait, life hit. I hope that this clears up a few confusion, please read and REVIEW, it's what keeps me going and knowing if I'm doing the right thing. If you hate it, let me know (and then don't continue to read ;) Enjoy!**

* * *

Peter had just landed by his Thinking Tree when Pocahontas stabbed him through his shoulder and pinned him against it.

The vines that were meant to protect him, or so he had been told by his own shadow, but they did not move now.

He cried in shock and pain despite the golden heart that beat in his chest. His hand automatically went to the blade, but her strength was horrifyingly unmatched and he could not remove it. Her beautiful eyes flared with black fire and she grinned sadistically, imitating his infamous devilish smirk that finally came back to haunt him as the boys had said. She switched hands upon the blade and she slowly stroked the side of his face once, making the symbolic markings with his blood that he had made on the boys around the bonfire so many nights. To his inner terror, she dragged her finger across her lips and savored its taste.

"You thought you could stop me with that dying heart?" The voice that came from the beast with black orbs before him was dark and deep, strange enough to be unable to pick out a gender. "Your efforts were valiant, I must declare. You elected to destroy any possible bonds with your family, to rip apart the very foundations of your world, to eventually become a _man_ to be with her and where has that gotten you?"

She twisted the blade slowly, eliciting a grimace from him. "I let it go for a little while. What the heck? Maybe a dark Tiger Lily and evil Peter Pan could make their way to the title of most powerful and feared people in all worlds, but you were only ever in it for her and her inner demons weren't nearly dark enough for me to keep them on the outside and her goodie-two-shoes self in. You want to know some of her deepest secrets Pan? They're real doozies."

"I'm going to kill you, Shadow," he growled from behind clenched teeth. "I _will __**kill**__ you._"

She laughed, "No worries, maybe then you can join your son, he's not far from death I reckon, he's in Pandora's box, by the way, somewhere only I know."

Peter struggled to regain his footing, but the blade holding him to the tree was firm and not budging in the slightest.

"Remember, _secrets, secrets are no fun unless they're shared with everyone!" _she jeered. "Let's see, her _darkest_ secret, ha! It's barely a shade darker than gray! You recall that kiss she shared with Hook? You see, she _enjoyedit,_ Pan. Imagine that! No, not the secret about never speaking to you when she was a spirit because you kept Wendy Darling by your side, not the one about how she would cry herself to sleep every night because thoughts about her brother, or her friends or Akahanetis drove her mad with grief and she feared what you may do with her if she told you, _not even _the one where she gave up the chance to finally be at peace and see everyone whom she had loved who had died while she was on this Godforsaken island because she thought that maybe, _just maybe_, you cared about her enough to bring her back."

"You lie!"

"Ask her yourself," she pulled out the blade and he clutched his shoulder, warily watching her through one eye whilst the other was squinted shut in pain as she rubbed his slick blood between her fingertips. "I have the blood of the barer of the heart of the truest believer, it completes the spell. You get a day, Peter Pan, to be with your lover before I take her life force and become the monster I was meant to be: half-living, half-dead, unable to be killed and after you'll get to watch your paradise burn. Perhaps you'll burn with it, perhaps I'll save you to show you my good work when I'm done with the universe. Who knows? Your attempts to stop me will be fruitless, for I am going where you will never find me. Good bye, boy who never grew up, now you can finally see what immortality was meant to be used for."

She bent her head back at an unnatural angle, her eyes and mouth open, gushing black smoke that became The Shadow, watching with a mad grin as Pocahontas experienced the pain of a thousand worlds exploding and reforming and destroying themselves again—the price of having conjoined souls ripped apart within you.

The Shadow's eyes widened in pleasure at her pain, then it flew off, it's mind bent on the destruction of Peter and Pocahontas.

Peter held one hand to cease the steady flow of blood and he slowly approached the limp form of Pocahontas. Her eyes were glazed, but open and not consumed by darkness. He would not allow himself to believe that she was back until she came to life, choking and gasping and sobbing, "Peter, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

She buried her face into his chest, wrapping her arms tightly around him. She did not notice his hesitation in holding her, but the moment she whispered, "I love you," he held her tighter than ever before and ignored the pain in his shoulder.

Well, it became easy to ignore when Regina stepped in from behind and ripped out his heart. He bit back a scream and collapsed into Pocahontas' arms.

Pocahontas wanted to fight back, to get back the heart for Peter, but she knew that they were in the right. Regina held her hand out to her, prepared to stop her if she tried to get it back. Shakily, she whispered, "Save Henry," she took a breath and rested Peter's head on her lap. "Then get to Storybrooke as fast as possible, that's where The Shadow plans to destroy everything."

Emma kneeled next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, "We're not leaving without you, Henry wouldn't want that."

"I can't leave Peter and you don't want him coming with you," she murmured, shaking her head and stroking his face affectionately. "I'm going to die soon, anyway. The Shadow is going to take my life, just like their going to take yours if you don't hurry."

Emma looked desperately to Snow White who shook her head, "We're not leaving either of you, you're the only people who know how take care of The Shadow, you can help us as long as you keep him on a leash." She nodded towards Peter.

Pocahontas smiled weakly and nodded, "Okay, one last battle, for the heck of it, and then rest for a while."

"Come on, let's go then, we're wasting time." Regina said, not entirely willing to invite her along, but not yet sure enough to let her be.

"Take him with you," Pocahontas instructed. "I have a few old friends who may know how to stop Shadow. I'll be back in less than a half hour, I promise."

"Who are you going to see?" Emma asked, hauling Peter over her shoulder.

She smiled, "John Smith and Mama Odie,"

* * *

**Yep. **


	10. Tiger Lily, Pocahontas, Shanti

**Short chapter but a good one. I hope you enjoy and I hope that you REVIEW! Thanks so much and I hope you stick around until I can fix up the previous chapters. Thanks a lot!**

* * *

Pocahontas fled Peter's Thinking Tree faster than ever before, dodging through the traps that the strange pair set up to protect them from Peter's dark emotions throughout the years when she was not there to care for his temper.

"John!" She yelled. "Mama Odie, quick! Something's happened!"

The blind woman stepped forward from the shadows and tripped her with Juju, the snake that she used as a walking stick. "Calm, yourself, child, you ain't gonna do this world no good if you can't stop to talk! Now let me get a good look at you, it's been too long-"

"Not now, Mama, we have to move," She exclaimed. "The Shadow's back and he's going to Storybrooke, we have to help Henry and his family before it's too late,"

"Well, why didn't ya say so?! Come on, Smithy, it's time to go!"

Mama Odie was already making her way to the ship while Pocahontas turned to John Smith who sat still. "John?"

He looked away and watched the water cascade across the rocks beside Mama's hut. "You saved my life when you could have gone on with your life without even blinking an eye at my death. After that, you help me find my son, my family. I regret to inform you that I won't be leaving the island with you, but I can give you something I think you might be missing."

He handed her a heavy, circular object wrapped in animal skin. Slowly, she unwrapped it and gasped, in her hands was her spinning arrow which Peter had crushed the day she had met him. "Oh, John-"

"You always said that it would point you down the right path, well it's shown me mine. Thank you so much for what you've done, Pocahontas," He kissed her cheek and smiled warmly. "I will see you before this ends, but I hope that this will be enough to guide you through whatever lies ahead of you. Good bye, Tiger Lily, Pocahontas, Shanti."

Her brows knitted in confusion, "Shanti?"

He shook his head and smiled, "Another time, now, the hunt is afoot," And John Smith broke into a run not befitting of his old age, lost to Neverland as he had dreamed.

Peter woke on _The Jolly Roger_ with his head in the lap of his lover who sat beside Mama Odie and Juju. "What-?" Was the only word he could manage to make.

"The heart has been given back to Henry," She explained. "We're on our way to Storybrooke now to stop the Shadow; Mama's here to help."

The insufferable old woman was snickering at his dilemma, which he promptly decided to ignore. He smiled and reached for the compass which dangled from her neck on a string. "You're compass-"

"Arrow," She corrected. "My spinning arrow."

"It's spinning alright," Mama Odie huffed. "Da Fates don't know what ta do wit her."

"Peter, may I speak to you somewhere private?" Pocahontas asked quietly. He nodded and, with her help, made their way to a corner below deck.

"Is something wrong, Princess?" His brows knitted.

"Shanti," The name stabbed into him with a force of a thousand knives, digging into his flesh and warping his body. "John Smith called me that as I left, I was wondering if you knew her."

Peter stumbled backwards, his back hitting the wall as he stared at her. She looked like her, she spoke like her, she acted like her, she thought like her, she loved like her, she was her. But his father...how?

"Shanti...Shanti was my wife in a time long ago, but she...she died and was taken away from her family."

Her eyes widened, "Peter, do you think-"

He took her face in his hands and swept her into an unbreakable kiss. "When we finish the Shadow, when we finish this entire thing, will you marry me?"

"Peter, does this mean you'll-"

"Yes," He nodded and smiled. "Yes, I'll give up my immortality, I'll give up my youth and we can finally live happily ever after."

"Then yes," she grinned and stole another kiss. "Yes."


	11. To Die

**The end is drawing near, luckily it's not this chapter, but it's coming. I'm sorry for the mistakes I've made that have caused many of you emotional issues, I'm sorry for the shortness of the recent chapters, I'm sorry for all I've asked of you in trying to understand this fanfiction and I'm sorry for all I'm going to ask of you with this chapter and the rest. I do intend to revise this, but I also intended on revising You Don't Need Eyes to See and that still hasn't happened yet. I'm sorry.**

** Please review and tell me if you have any last requests for this story. ~A Keeper**

* * *

They were greeted by a vast crowd of people upon landing in Storybrooke which brought a smile to Pocahontas' face. Peter was slightly more morose as his thoughts were only on the location of the Shadow, Pandora's box and how to keep his fiance safe.

"What do we do now?" Henry asked. "How do we look for the Shadow?"

"Don' ya worry about that, mister man," Mama Odie said, facing Neal though she intended to talk to Henry. "Y'all leave that to me and keep a watchful eye on ya so we don' lose da heart again."

"You don't want us helping...at all?" Regina asked.

"Now I din' say that! She be putting words in meh mouth!" Mama went to hit her with Juju, but she ducked away just in time. "All I _need_ is the turtle doves, the Savior and Baelfire to finish dis, the rest of ya I need to protect da boy from de Shadow. De only ting more dangerous than de Shadow is de Shadow and de Shadow Man!"

"He wants to resurrect the Shadow Man," Peter concluded, his brows raised as locked concerned eyes with Pocahontas.

"Well, look who came ta school today," Mama muttered. "Alright now, everybody, mush!"

* * *

Henry went with Regina and his grandparents as well as a few others to keep him and his heart protected while Neal, Emma, Pocahontas and Peter stayed with the...interesting woman. "How do you intend to find the Shadow, Mama?" Pocahontas questioned as the woman wandered blindly through the town even with her "walking stick."

"Do me a favor, dear, and give your spinning arrow to Peter for a moment, see if he recognizes it," She instructed. Pocahontas obeyed and removed her makeshift necklace, handing the compass to Peter.

"I don't understand-"

"Patience, young man," Mama exclaimed. She was quite erratic and...loud. "What d'ya see?"

"A spinning arrow," He replied sardonically.

"'Nough of that, don't you see the markings on it? Don't you notice de pirate it belong to?"

He looked closer and rubbed his finger along the side, lifting it up so he could see the initials inscribed. "This is Jack Sparrow's compass."

"Aye, dat it is, d'you remember what it does?"

"It tells you what you want most in the world," Emma spoke up. They all cast strange looks at her, but she shrugged it off with, "It was in a movie."

The arrow spun around and then landed abruptly in the direction of Pocahontas. "But, Mama, it won't work, the thing I want most is Pocahontas." He drew out the sentence as he realized that there was more than just Mama Odie and Pocahontas to witness his confession.

"No, what you want most is a way ta keep your love safe," Mama corrected. "And de way to keep her safe is to find the Shadow before he destroys dis world, and de way to find de Shadow is-" She gestured to the compass which had begun to spin again, and then stopped at the graveyard.

"In the mausoleum."

* * *

Rumpelstiltskin opened his eyes in a tomb and looked around warily. He didn't know where he was, how long he had been trapped, where his diabolical father was or where his devilish imp of a lover had hidden. He did know that someone had found his shadow and his dagger because the blade was left on a table, and his shadow was trapped in a coconut candle.

His eyes blazed in anger and he took up his dagger, deciding that now, finally, he was ready to make the ultimate sacrifice—for Bae.

* * *

"The Shadow's not here," Emma informed them after a brief look around. "There's too many torches lit."

"So what did you lead us to, Peter? What did you really want most?" Pocahontas asked, turning to the boy whose hand she held only to gasp with widened eyes, "No!"

Peter was yanked away, pulled close to Rumpelstiltskin and was stabbed with the Dark One's dagger through their hearts. "Hello, Papa,"

It was all so sudden, it didn't make any sense.

Pocahontas clutched her chest and crumpled to the ground in Emma's arms while Neal pulled father and son off of each other, holding on to his own father while Mama Odie pulled Peter over to Pocahontas. "Ya joined yer lives, din't ya, dearie?" Mama Odie whispered solemnly. Pocahontas smiled through the pain.

The Princess turned to Emma and choked out her words, "Emma, you have to listen to me, there's not much time. Find Grandmother Willow, she has guarded an eternal flame for the last hundred or so years and it can kill the Shadow, it can save your world before it's too late; and when you've won, because, by God, you will, take care of Henry like I wanted to take care of my son. Never let him go."

Emma had tears in her eyes, "Come on, we can't lose you now, we've only just gotten you back."

She smiled, "If it were up to me, I would have died a long time ago." She then turned to Peter and took his hand. "What do you say? One last gift to the world before we go to our own Neverland?"

He nodded, seemingly knowing what she meant and took her hand. They pointed towards Rumpelstiltskin who lay dying as they did, reaching out, their interlaced fingers suddenly began to dissolve into glowing pieces of dust which sparkled like fireworks but maintained their shape.

"Would you do me a favor, Emma?" Peter asked, not looking pulling his eyes off of their son until he deemed a single moment worthy to spare.

She nodded, "Anything,"

"Tell him one last lesson, from father to son," He gasped as their torsos began to turn into the glowing dust. "Peter Pan says that to die would be a great adventure, but to live would be an even greater one."

For a spectacular moment, time froze and Pocahontas and Peter Pan lay still in a cloud of glowing snowflakes in their arms; and then, it floated into the air like a swirling blizzard and went to Rumpelstiltskin. Once it reached him, it soaked into his body and the once dead man opened his eyes and looked around with a confused expression at the tears that were shed and the compass upon the floor.


	12. To Live

**Sorry for the delay, guys, but this will be the last chapter. I will not be writing a sequel. **

** Thank you so much for those of you who reviewed, who followed, who clicked 'favorite,' you have brought me many smiles and I hope that this ending meets your expectations. As soon as the massive list of stories to finish in my profile is complete, I will come back to this and edit it so it makes more sense and I apologize to those of you who had to deal with the Evil vs. Good Pocahontas issue.**

** I love you!**

** Keeper**

* * *

"This is all my fault," Rumpelstiltskin whispered as all of them sat in his shop, mourning their chances of survival.

"No," Belle insisted. "You did what you thought was necessary to protect your family and so did they. Now all we have to do is find this Grandmother Willow and convince her to give us this eternal flame-"

"That's just the thing," He interrupted. "Old Willow died a century ago after relinquishing the flame to someone else. She doesn't have it."

"Then why would she tell you to find her if she didn't have it?" Henry asked.

"Perhaps she didn't know about the death," Neal suggested.

"No, she had enough time in that veil to know what happened to her family," Rumple hummed in thought for a long while until Emma spoke up.

"Pan did have one last thing he wanted me to tell you," She said and recited his last wish perfectly. "'Tell him one last lesson, from father to son, Peter Pan says that to die would be a great adventure, but to live would be an even greater one.'"

"'Peter Pan'?" He scoffed and shook his head. "The selfish git even referred to himself in..." His eyes widened and locked with Neal's. "Unless..."

The two men stood up simultaneously and began ripping the store apart, bit by bit. "What are you doing?!" Snow exclaimed.

"Found it!" Neal shouted and pulled out a doll, handing it to his father who flinched at touching it.

"My father gave this to me when I was a boy. It was made from the wood of Grandmother Willow and I had named it Peter Pan. To die would be a great adventure, but to live..." He pulled apart the strings which held the doll together and in the place of a heart was an amber stone small enough to fit a dozen times over in the palm of his hand. "The eternal flame was with me the entire time, that's why I couldn't destroy the doll."

Mama Odie snatched the jewel from him and seemingly peered at it thoughtfully. "Don't feel upset at yerself fer what ya did to them, young man," she said to Rumpelstiltskin. "Dey were gonna die anyway, dere wasn't 'nough time."

"What do we do now?"

Silence overcame them. What was there to do next?

"When I was a boy, I escaped they island by catching Pan's shadow in a lantern I had fashioned from a coconut. Shadows are attracted to light, if we use the eternal flame to catch it before it can do any harm." Neal suggested.

Rumplestiltskin dug around his shop until he found a music box, small enough to fit in his hand, big enough to contain the flame. "Now all we have to do is-"

"Lure the Shadow." Mama Odie finished. With a sigh, she reached her hands towards the box, "Bring it 'ere, boy. It's bout time this old hermit makes er last stand."

"What are you talking about?"

"Me, dying. What d'ya think I'm talkin bout?" She snatched the box from the Dark One and waved one of her withered hands over it. "Don't say nothing to me bout it. Da flame needs life essence to burn, and I am all but essence now. I'll tell yer folks ya say 'hi,' Rumpie."

"Ma'am-" Mama Odie shot an empty, yet scary, glare to David and he quickly amended. "Mama Odie, what makes you so sure that you are the one to-"

"Don't question me, boy, these old eyes have seen more than you ever will!" She whacked him with Juju. "Now, old friend," she said to the snake. "You take good care of little Henry, ya hear?" The snake nodded and somehow frowned, as though producing human facial expressions was nothing. He slithered to Henry and curled around his feet.

"If y'all excuse me, I'm gonna summon a demon."

They all watched through the windows as the elder woman took a couple random, seemingly useless, items and drew a pentagram upon the ground in the middle of the town. She had placed the flame in the music box which sat with its lid open in the center of it all. She was chanting.

Storm clouds sat silently above, as if waiting for her word to tell them to rain. A black cloud materialized at the center. The Shadow.

"You've been bad," Mama Odie chided. "I'm not going to mind dis trip at all." She murmured something else and touched the amber flame, which slowly began to spark into a steady glow.

"What can you do 'Lizabeth?" The Shadow taunted. "My greatest enemies are dead, their spawn, soon to follow, for my master has been remade and he is putting them back in their places."

"I'm afraid my only problem is you. I was so proud of ya, boy; den ya had to go messin' with black magic. 'm sorry it had to end like dis."

"End?"

Mama Odie cast aside her glasses and in a matter of seconds, she seemed to age backwards. starting out as the dying old hermit, to a younger old woman, to a beautiful adult, to a gorgeous teenager, an innocent child, a wonderful toddler and then, nothing. Nothing but ash.

And as her body endured the strange feat, the eternal flame burst into light and flickered and moved as a fluid, burning and not burning; attracting the Shadow who screeched as he was sucked into the music box which closed its lid and captured the demon forever.

* * *

_10:13 pm_

_The Docks_

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

Rumplestiltskin nodded and pulled out three items from his jacket. The entire town had gathered to the docks when their own evil villain had built a raft made of wood with his own bare hands. Not a drop of magic was used.

The whole of the town watched in fascination at the monster-the man's-display of sympathy.

He placed Peter Pan the doll, the compass and Mama Odie's glasses upon the raft. "My mother, Shanti...she never wanted us exposed to magic. She knew it would be the end of us. She was right."

He sighed and pulled out a box of matches, striking one up and lighting the raft before shoving it into the pit of black that was the bay. The only light came from the moon, as the storm clouds had shrouded most of the sky in darkness. Nobody needed the sky to know that the second star to the right was no longer there.

The town was silent in mourning until Henry called, "Hey, look!"

Up in the sky were three new constellations. The clouds moved rapidly, scrambling to get out of the way for them to see. Rumplestiltskin smiled. "One of the last stories my parents told me was that of the constellations. An old myth, that if you burn the right objects, you preserve the memory of the deceased, forever."

The sky glowed with a pair of strange glasses, a spinning arrow and a little doll made of willow wood.

* * *

The Shadow Man cackled darkly as he approached the well, tossing in the proper ingredients and smiling darkly as the smoke rose, smelling the sweetness of revenge and ressurection. Pity he wasn't there to see the deaths of his _dear_ friends. No matter. He would hunt their leeches of family after sending them back to the old hunting grounds.

"Goodbye, Storybrooke." He grinned as a single light sparkled on the water. "We'll be in touch, Rumpel."


End file.
